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The Four Girls. 










FOUR GIRLS 

AT 

CHAUTAUQUA. 


%JsuJUU. "Yu ■ aSLL 


B Y 

PANSY. 

AUTHOR OF “ESTER REID,” “JULIA REID,” “THREE PEO- 
PLE,” “THE KING’S DAUGHTER,” “WISE AND OTH- 
ERWISE,” ” HOUSEHOLD PUZZLES,” “CUNNING 
WORKMEN,” “GRANDPA’S DARLINGS,” &c. 



LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY 

BOSTON 





) 


library now6Rirss 
Two Coctes R«rwve<j 

AUG 1 1904 

H yrleht Entry 

/ 3-/<?f c i 

l & XXo. No. 

FI T-q t, 

COPY B 

n»yn ufc i ' nm 


PANSY. & 

TRADE-MARK REGISTERED 
JUNE 4, 18 9 5. <4 






<c 



COPYRIGHT, 1876, BY & 
D. LOTHROP AND COMPANY. 


Copyright, 1904, 

BY 

lSAHEUL-A M. AUM5N, 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER L 

INTRODUCED . 

CHAPTER II. 

THE QUESTION DISCUSSED 

CHAPTER III. 

ENTERING THE CURRENT . 

CHAPTER IV. 

FAIRPOINT .... 

CHAPTER V. 

UNREST 

CHAPTER VI. 


. 7 

. 23 

. 37 

. 61 

• 69 


FEASTS 


84 


6 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER XXV. 

SERMONS IN CHALK . . . .361 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

“ THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM” . 876 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

UNFINISHED MUSIC .... 891 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

MENTAL PROBLEMS 404 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

WAITING 419 

CHAPTER XXX. 

SETTLED QUESTIONS 434 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE BEGINNING OF THE END . . . 449 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

THE END OF THE BEGINNING . . . 463 


) 



FOUR GIRLS AT CHAUTAUQUA, 


CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCED, 

MITCHELL shut the door with a 
and ran up the stairs two steps at a 
time. She nearly always banged doors, and was 
always in a hurry. She tapped firmly at the door 
just at the head of the stairs ; then she pushed it 
open and entered. 

“ Are you going ? ” she said, and her face was 
all in a glow of excitement and pleasure. 

The young lady to whom she spoke measured 
the velvet to see if it was long enough for the 

hat she was binding, raised her eyes for just an 

( 7 ) 



8 Four Girls at Chautauqua, 

instant to the eager face before her, and said: 
“ Good-morning.” 

“ Ruth Erskine ! what are you trimming your 
hat for ? Didn’t it suit ? Say, are you groing ? 
Why in the world don’t you tell me ? I have 
been half wild all the morning.” 

Ruth Erskine smiled. “ Which question shall 
I answer first? What a perfect interrogation 
point you are, Eurie. My hats never suit, you 
know ; this one was worse than usual. This 
velvet is a pretty shade, isn’t it ? Am I going to 
Chautauqua, do you mean ? I am sure I don’t 
know. I haven’t thought much about it. Do 
you really suppose it will be worth while ? ” 

Eurie stamped her foot impatiently. “ How 
provoking you are ! Haven’t thought of it, and 
here I have been talking and coaxing all the 
morning. Father thinks it is a wild scheme, of 
course, and sees no sense in spending so much 
money; but I’m going for all that. I don’t 
have a frolic once in an age, and I have set my 
heart on this. Just think of living in the woods 
p or two whole weeks ! camping out, and doing 
all sorts of wild things. I’m just delighted.” 

Miss Erskine sewed thoughtfully for some sec- 
onds, then she said : 


Introduced . 


9 


“ Why, there is nothing in the world to hindei 
my going if I want to. As to the money, I sup- 
pose one could hardly spend as much there as at 
Long Branch or Saratoga, and of course I should 
go somewhere. But the point is, what do I 
want to go for?’* 

“Why, just to be together, and be in the 
woods, and live in a tent, and do nothing civil- 
ized for a fortnight. It is the nicest idea that 
ever was.” 

“ And should we go to the meetings ? ” Miss 
Erskine asked, still speaking thoughtfully, and 
as if she were undecided. 

“ Why, yes, of course, now and then. Though 
for that matter I suppose father is right enough 
when he says that precious few people go for 
the sake of the meetings. He says it is a grand 
jollification, with a bit of religion for the back- 
ground. But for that matter the less religion 
they have the better, and so I told him.” 

At this point there was a faint little knock at 
the door, and Eurie sprang to open it, saying as 
she went : “ That is Flossy, I know ; she always 
gives just such little pussy knocks as that.” 
The little lady who entered fitted her name per- 


10 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

fectty. She was small and fair, blue-eyed, flossy 
yellow curls lying on her shoulders, her voice 
was small and sweet, almost too sweet or too 
soft, that sort of voice that could change when 
slight occasion offered into a whine or positive 
tearfulness. She was greeted with great glee 
by Eurie, and in her more quiet way by Miss 
Erskine. 

“ I'm going,” she said, with a soft little laugh, 
and she sank down among the cushions of the 
sofa, while her white morning dress floated 
around her like a cloud. “ Charlie thinks it is 
silly, and Kit thinks it is sillier, and mamma 
thinks it is the very silliest thing I ever did yet ; 
but for all that I am going — that is, if the rest 
of you are.” Which, by the way, was always 
this little Flossy’s manner of speech. She was 
going to do or not to do, speak or keep silent, 
approve or condemn, exactly as the mind which 
was for the time being nearest to her chose to 
sway her. 

“ Good I ” said Eurie, softly clapping her 
hands. “ I didn’t think it of you, Flossy ; I 
thought you were too much of a mouse. Now, 
Ruth, you will go, won’t you? As for Marion, 


Introduced. 


11 


there is no knowing whether she will go or not. 
I don’t see Uow she can afford it myself any 
more than I can ; but, of course, that is her own 
concern. We can go anyway, whether she does 
or not — only I don’t want to, I want her along. 
Suppose we all go down and see her ; it is Sat- 
urday, she will be at home, and then we can be- 
gin to make our preparations. It is really quite 
time we were sure of what we are going to do.” 

By dint of much coaxing and argument Ruth 
was prevailed upon to leave her fascinating 
brown hat with its brown velvet trimmings, and 
in the course of the next half hour the trio were 
on their way down Park Street, intent on a call 
on Miss Marion Wilbur. Park Street was a 
simple, quiet, unpretending street, narrow and 
short ; the houses were two-storied and severely 
plain. In one of the plainest of these, wearing 
an unmistakable boarding-house look, in a back 
room on the second floor, the object of their 
search, in a dark calico dress, with her sleeves 
rolled above her elbows, had her hands im- 
mersed in a wash-bowl of suds, and was doing 
up linen collars. She was one of those misera- 
ble creatures in this weary world, a teacher in a 


12 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


graded school, and her one day of rest wm filled 
with all sorts of washing, ironing and mending 
work, until she had fairly come to groan over 
the prospect of Saturday because of the burden 
of work which it brought. She welcomed her 
callers without taking her hands from the suds ; 
she was as quiet in her way as Ruth Erskine 
was in hers. 

This time it was Flossy who asked the impor- 
tant question : “ Are you going ? ” 

Marion answered as promptly as though the 
question had been decided for a week. 

“ Yes, certainly I am going. I thought I told 
you that when we talked it over before. I am 
washing out my collars to have them ready. 
Ruth, are you going to take a trunk ? ” 

Ruth roused herself from the comtemplation 
of her brown gloves to say with a little start : 

“How you girls do rush things. Why, I 
haven’t decided yet that 1 am going.” 

4 ‘ Oh, you’ll go,” Marion Wilbur said. “ The 
question is, are we to take trunks — or, rather, 
are you to ? because I know I shall not. I’m 
going to wear my black suit. Put it on on 
Tuesday morning, or Monday is it that we start? 


introduced. 


13 


and wear it until we return. I may take it off, 
to be sure, while I sleep, but even that is uncer- 
tain, as we may not get a place to sleep in ; but 
for once in my life I am not going to be bored 
with baggage.” 

“ I shall take mine,” Ruth Erskin said with 
determination. “ I don’t intend to be bored by 
being without baggage. It is horrid, I think, to 
go away with only one dress, and fee] obliged to 
wear it whether it is suited to the weather or 
not, or whatever happens to it. Eurie, what are 
you laughing at?” 

“ I am interested in the phenomena of Marion 
Wilbur being the first to introduce the dress 
question. I venture to say not one of us has 
thought of that phase of the matter up to this 
present moment.” 

While the talk went on the collars and cuffs 
were carefully washed and rinsed, and presently 
Marion, with her hands only a trifle pinker for 
the operation, was ready to lean against a chair 
and discuss ways and means. Her long appren- 
ticeship in school-rooms had given her the habit 
of standing instead of sitting, even when ther« 
was no occasion for the former. 


14 Four Crirts at Chautauqua. 

If these four young ladies had been ^reatursa 
of the brain, gotten up expressly for the purpose 
of illustrating extremes of character, instead of 
being flesh and blood creations, I doubt whether 
they could have better illustrated the different 
types of young ladyhood. There was Ruth Ers- 
kine, dwelling in solitary grandeur in her royal 
home, as American royalty goes, the sole daugh- 
er, the sole child indeed of the house, a girl who 
had no idea of life except as a place in which to 
have a serenely good time, and teach everybody 
to do as she desired them to. Money was a 
commonplace matter-of-course article, neither to 
be particularly prized nor despised ; it was con- 
venient, of course, and must be an annoyance 
when one had to do without it ; but of that, by 
practical experience, she knew nothing. Yet 
Ruth was by no means a “ pink-and- white ” girl 
without character; on the contrary, she had 
plenty of character, but hitherto it had been 
frittered away on nothings, until it looked as 
much like nothing as it could. She was the 
sort of person whom education and circumstam 
ces of the right sort would have developed into 
Bplendor, but the development had not taken 


Introduced . 


15 


piaee. Now you are not to suppose that she was 
uneducated ; that would be a libel on Madame 
La Fonte and her fashionable seminary. She had 
graduated with honor ; taken the first prizes in 
everything. She knew all about seminaries ; so 
do I ; and if you do, you are ready to admit that 
the development had not come. There is con- 
stantly occurring something to take back. While 
I write I have in mind an institution where the 
earnest desire sought after and prayed for is the 
higher development, not alone of the intellect, 
but of the heart : where the wonderful woman 
who is at its head said to me a few years ago : 

“ If a lady has spent three years under my care, 
and graduated, and gone out from me not a 
Christian, I feel like going down on my knees in 
bitterness of soul, and crying, ‘Lord, I have 
failed in the trust thou didst give me.” But the 
very fact that the word “ wonderful ” fits that 
woman’s name is proof enough that such institu- 
tions as hers are rare, and it was not at that sem- 
inary that Ruth Erskine graduated. She was 
spending her life in elegant pursuits that meant 
nothing, those of them which did not mean worse 
than nothing, and the only difference between 


16 


Four Girls at Chautauqua. 


her and a hundred others around her was that 
she knew perfectly well that they all amounted 
to nothing, and didn’t hesitate to say so, there- 
fore she earned the title of u queer.” At the 
same time she did not hesitate to lead the whirl 
around this continuous nothing, therefore she 
occupied that perilous position of being liked 
and admired and envied, all in one. Very few 
people loved her, and queerly enough she knew 
that too, and instead of resenting it realized that 
she could not see why they should. She was, 
moreover, remarkably careful as to her leading 
after all, and those who followed were sure of 
being led in an eminently respectable and fash- 
ionable way. Her most intimate friend was 
Eurie Mitchell, which was not strange when one 
considered what remarkable opposites in charac- 
ter they were. Eureka J. Mitchell was the re- 
spectable sounding name that the young lady 
bore, but the full name would have sounded ut- 
terly strange to her ears, the wild little word 
“ Eurie ” seeming to have been made on purpose 
for her. She was the eldest daughter of a large, 
good-natured, hard-working, much-bewildered 
family. They never knew just where they be 


Introduced . 


17 


longed. They went to the First Church, which 
for itself should have settled their position, since 
it was the opinion of most of its members that it 
was organized especially that the “ first families ” 
might have a church-home. But they occupied 
a very front seat, by reason of their inability to 
pay for a middle one, which was bad for “ posi- 
tion,” as First Church gentility went. What 
was surprising to them was how they ever hap- 
pened to have the money to pay for that seat ; 
but, let me record it to their honor, they always 
happened to have it. They were honest. They 
ought to have been called “ the happen family,” 
by reason of their inability to tell how much or 
how little they might happen to have to live on, 
whether they could afford three new dresses 
apiece or none at all. The fact being that it 
depended on the amount of sickness there was 
in Dr. Mitchell’s beat whether there were to be 
luxuries or simple bare necessities, with some 
wonderment as to how even those were to be 
paid. 

Eurie was the most light-hearted and indiffer- 
ent of this free-and-easy family, who always had 
roast turkey when it was to be had, aod who 


18 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

could laugh and chat merrily over warmed-up 
meat and johnny-cake, or even no meat at all, 
when such days came. How she ever came to 
think that she could go to Chautauqua was a 
matter of surprise to herself ; but it happened to 
have been a sickly summer among the wealthy 
people, and large bills had come in — the next 
thing was to spend them. Chautauqua was a 
silly place to do it in, to be sure ; that was Dr. 
Mitchell’s idea, and the family laughed together 
over Eurie’s last wild notion ; but for all that 
they good-naturedly prepared to let her carry it 
out. Just how full of fun and mischief and 
actual wildness Eurie was, a two- weeks sojourn 
at Chautauqua will be likely to develop ; for be- 
fore that conversation at Marion’s was concluded 
they decided that they were really going. Why 
Marion went, puzzled the girls very much, puz- 
zled herself somewhat. She was her own mis- 
tress, had neither father to direct nor sister to 
consult. She had an uncle and aunt who lived 
where she called “ home,” and with whom she 
spent her vacations, but they were the poorest 
of hard-working country people, who stood in 
awe of Marion and her education, and by no 


Introduced . 


19 


means ventured to interfere with her plans. 
Marion was as independent in her way as Ruth 
was in hers, but they were very different ways. 
Ruth, for instance, indulged her independence in 
the matter of dress, by spending a small fortune 
in looking elegantly unlike everybody else, and 
straightway created a frantic desire in her set to 
look as nearly like her as possible. But no one 
cared to look like Marion, in her severely plain 
black or brown suits, with almost and sometimes 
quite no trimmings at all on them. It was 
agreed that she looked remarkably well, but so 
unlike any one else they didn’t see how she 
could bring herself to dressing so. She laughed 
when this was hinted to her, and got what com- 
fort she could out of the fact that she was con- 
sidered “ odd.” In a certain way she ruled 
them all, Ruth Erskine included, though that 
young lady never suspected it. The queerest 
one of this company was little Flossy Shipley — 
queer to be found in just such company, I mean. 
She was the petted darling of a wealthy home, 
a younger daughter, a baby in their eyes, to be 
loved and cherished, and allowed to have her 
own sweet and precious waj *>v*u when it in 


20 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

eluded such a strange proceeding as a two weeks 
in the woods, all because that strange girl in the 
ward school that Flossy had taken such an unac- 
countable fancy for was going. This family were 
First Church people, too, and capable of buying 
a seat very near the centre, in fact but a few re- 
moves from the Erskine pew, which was, of 
course, the wealthy one of the church. The 
Shipley pew was rarely honored by all the mem- 
bers of the family, and indeed the pastor had 
no special cause for alarm if several Sundays 
went by without an appearance from one of them. 
A variety of trifles might happen to cause such 
a state of things, from which you will infer that 
they were not a church-going family. Anothei 
strange representative for Chautauqua I 

Now how did those four girls come to be 
friends? Oh, dreadful! You don’t expect me 
to be able to account for human friendships I hope, 
especially for school-girl friendships ? There is 
no known rule that will apply to. such idiosyn- 
cracies. They had been in school together, 
even Marion Wilbur, with the indomitable en- 
ergy which characterized her, had managed one 
term of Madame La Fonte's enormous bills, and 


Introduced . 


, 21 


with the close of the term found herself strangely 
enough drawn into this strange medley of char- 
acter that moved in such different circles, and 
yet called themselves friends. You are to un- 
derstand that though the same church received 
these girls on Sunday, yet the actual circle in 
which their lives whirled was as unlike as possi- 
ble. The Erskines were the cream, cultured, 
traveled, wealthy, aristocratic as to blood and as 
to manners, literary in the sense that they bought 
rare books, and knew why they were rare. The 
Mitchells had a calling acquaintance with their 
family because Dr. Mitchell was their chosen 
physician, but that came to pass through an ac- 
cident, and not many of the doctor’s patrons were 
of just the same stamp. This family never went 
to the Erskine entertainments, never were in- 
vited to go to the other entertainments starting 
from the same circle, yet they had their friends 
and many of them. The Shipleys were free-and- 
easy, cordial, social, friendly people, who bought 
many books and pictures, and were prominent in 
.airs and festivals, and were popular everywhere, 
but were not, after all, of the Erskine stamp, 
v i*nallv came Marion, alone, no position anv 


22 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

where, save as she ruled in the most difficult 
room in the most difficult ward in the city. A 
worker, known to be such ; a manager, recog- 
nized as one who could make incongruous ele- 
ments meet and marshal into working order. In 
that capacity she found her place even in ihe 
First Church, for they had fairs and festivals, 
and oyster suppers, and other trials even in the 
First Church ; and there was much work to be 
done, and Marion Wilbur could work. 

And these four girls were going to Chautau- 
qua — were to start on Monday moving, August 
2, 1875. 




CHAPTER II. 


THE QUESTION DISCUSSED. 



EV. DR. DENNIS and Rev. Mr. Harm 


son met just at the corner of Howard 
and Clinton Streets, and stopped for a 
chat. Dr. Dennis was pastor of the First Church, 
and Mr. Harrison was pastor of the Fourth, and 
some of the sheep belonging to these respective 
flocks supposed the two churches to be rivals, 
but the pastors thereof never thought of such a 
thing. On the contrary, they were always get- 
ting up excuses for coming in contact with each 
other ; and woe to the work that was waiting for 
each when they chanced to meet of a morning 
on some shady corner. 

“You are to be represented, I hear, at the 
coming assembly,” said Mr. Harrison, as they 
snook hands in that hearty way which says, as 


( 23 ) 


24 Four Girl 8 at Chautauqua . 

plainly as words, u How very glad I am to see 
you ! ” 

Dr. Dennis shrugged his shoulders. 

“ Such a representation ! ” he said. “If the 
entire congregation had been canvassed, it would 
have been impossible to have made more curious 
selections. I do wish we could have some real 
workers from the different churches.” 

“ Miss Erskine isn’t a member of the church, 
is she?” 

“ None of them are members, nor Christians ; 
nor have they an atom of interest in any such 
matters. They are going for pure fun, and 
nothing else.” 

“Now perhaps they will happily disappoint 
you by coming back with a wholesome interest 
aroused in Sunday-school work, and will really 
go into the work for themselves.” 

“ I don’t want them,” Dr. Dennis said, stoutly. 
“I wouldn’t give a dime for a hundred such 
workers; they are an injury to the cause. I 
want Sunday-school workers who have a personal, 
vital sense of the worth of souls, and a consum- 
ing desire to see them converted. All other 
Sunday-school teaching is aimless.' 


The Question Discussed. 




Mr. Harrison looked thoughtful. 

“We haven’t many such, I am afraid,” he said 
gravely ; but I agree with you in thinking tha^ 
they should at least be Christians. Still, I sup 
pose that it is not impossible that some one of 
these ladies may be converted.” 

“Not at Chautauqua,” Dr. Dennis said, as one 
who had looked into the matter and knew all 
about it. “I am not entirely*in sympathy with 
that meeting, any way ; or, that is, I am and I am 
not, all at once. I think it would be a grand 
place for you and me. I haven’t the least doubt 
but that we would be refreshed, bodily and men- 
tally, and, for that matter, spiritually. If the 
whole world were converted I should vote for 
Chautauqua with a loud voice ; but I am more 
than fearful as to the influence of such meetings 
on the masses — the unconverted world. They 
will go there for recreation. Their whole aim 
will be to have a glorious frolic away from the 
restraints of ordinary home-life. They will have 
no interest in the meetings, no sympathy with 
the central thought that has drawn the workers 
together, and the tendency will be to frolic 
through it all. 


26 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

“ The truth is, there will be such a mixing of 
things that I actually fear the effect will be 
wholesale demoralization. At the same time I 
am interested in the idea, and am watching it 
with anxiety. Since I have heard of the delega- 
tion from my own church I have been more con- 
vinced still of the evil influences. It makes me 
gloomy to think of the fruitful field such a place 
will be for the fertile brain of that little Eurie 
Mitchell. She is too wild now for civilized life. 
The four walls of the church and the sacred 
associations connected with the building serve 
to keep her only half controlled when she is act- 
ually attending Sabbatli service. There will be 
nothing to control her in the woods, and she will 
lose what little reverence she possesses. I tell 
you, the more I think of it, the more certain I 
am that for such people these great religious jubi- 
lees, holding over the Sabbath, do harm.” 

“You put it more gently than our friend Mr. 
Archer,” Mr. Harrison said, smiling. “ He is in 
a condition of absolute scorn. He gives none of 
them credit for honesty or genuine interest. He 
says it is a running away from work, a regulai 
shirking of what they ought to be doing, and go 


The Question Discussed. 


27 


ing off into the woods to have a good time, and, 
by way of gulling the public, they pretend to 
season it with religion.” 

Dr. Dennis laughed. 

“ That sounds precisely like him, and is quits 
as logical as one could expect, coming from that 
source,” he said, indifferently. “ Why doesn’t it 
occur to his dull brain, that thinks itself such a 
sharp one, that the leaders thereof are men re- 
sponsible to no one save God and their own con- 
sciences for the way in which they spend their 
time ? There is nothing earthly to hinder theii 
going to the woods, and staying three months if 
they please to do so.” 

“ Oh, but I have left out one of the important 
reasons for the meeting. It is to make money ; 
a grand speculation, whereby the fortunes of 
these same leaders are to be made at the expense 
of the poor victims whom they gather about 
them.” 

Again Dr. Dennis’ shoulders went upward in 
that peculiar but expressive shrug. 

“ Of all the precarious and dangerous ways of 
making a fortune, I should think that went 
ahead,” he said, still laughing. “What an idea 


28 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

now ! Shouldn’t you suppose people with com 
mon sense would have some faint idea of the 
immense expenses to be involved in such an 
undertaking, and the tremendous risks to be 
run ? If they succeed in meeting their expenses 
this year I think they will have cause for rejoic- 
ing.” 

“The point that puzzles me,” Mr. Harrison 
said, “is what particular commandment would 
they be breaking if they should actually happen 
to have twenty-five cents to put in their pockets 
when the meeting closed ; though, as you say, I 
doubt the probability. But they force no one to 
come ; it is a matter for individual decision, and 
they render a fair equivalent for every cent of 
money spent ; at least, if the spender thinks it 
is not a fair equivalent he is foolish to go ; so 
why should they not make enough to justify them 
in giving their time to this work ? ” 

“ Of course, of course,” assented Dr. Dennis, 
heartily ; “ they ought to ; none but an idiot 
would think otherwise.” 

It is to be presumed that both these gentlemen 
bad gotten so far away from the name that was 
quoted as holding these views as to forget all 


The Question Discussed. 


29 


about him, else they certainly would not have 
been guilty of calling a brother minister an idiot, 
however much his arguments might suggest the 
thought. 

“ But,” continued Dr. Dennis, “ my trouble 
lies, as I said, in the results. I have no sort of 
doubt that great good will be done, and I have 
the same feeling of certainty that harm will be 
done. Take it in my own church. We are so 
situated, or we think ourselves so situated, that 
not a single one of the earnest, heaity workers 
who would come back to us with a blessing for 
themselves and us, is able to go ; instead, we 
have four representatives who will turn the whole 
thing into ridicule, and dish it up for the enter- 
tainment of their friends during the coming 
winter. 

“ That Miss Erskine seems to have a special 
talent for getting up Thursday evening enter- 
tainments, to invite our people who are supposed 
to be interested in the prayer-meeting, but who 
rarely fail to make it convenient to go to the 
party. I imagine a bevy of them being enter- 
tained by Eurie Mitchell. She can do it, and 
she is looking forward to just that sort of thing, 


30 Four Giirls at Chautauqua. 

for I heard her rejoicing over it. That girl will 
be injured by Chautauqua ; I know it as well as 
though I already saw it ; and the question with 
me is, whether the amount of evil done will not 
overbalance the good. At the same time I am 
inconsistent enough to wish with all my heart 
that I could be there.” 

“ What about Miss Shipley ? Perhaps relief 
will come to you from that quarter.” 

Those shoulders again. 

“ She is nothing in the world but a little pink 
feather, and she blows precisely in the direction 
of the strongest current ; and Satan looks out for 
her with untiring patience that the wind shall 
blow in the exact direction where it can do her 
the most harm. Going to Chautauqua with the 
influences that will surround her, with Miss Ers- 
kine and Miss Wilbur on the one side, and 
Eurie Mitchell on the other, will be the very 
best thing that Satan can do next for her, and 
he doubtless knows it.” 

“ I do not know Miss Wilbur at all. Is she 
also one of your flock ? ” 

Dr. Dennis’ face was dark and sad. 

“ She is an infidel,” he said, decidedly. “ She 


Tlue Question Discussed . 


31 


does not call herself such ; she wouldn’t like to 
be known as such, because it would be likely to 
affect her position in the school. But the name 
is rightly hers, and she would do less harm in the 
world if she owned it.” 

“ It is an extraordinary representation, I de- 
clare,” Mr. Harrison said, a little startled. “ I 
have been half inclined to be envious of you 
because you were to hear so directly from the 
meeting, but I believe on the whole I shall be 
quite as well off without any delegates as you 
will with them.” 

“Better, decidedly. I am distressed at the 
whole thing. It will result disastrously for them 
all, you mark my words.” 

And having settled the affairs at Chautauqua, 
apparently beyond all repeal, the brethren shook 
hands again and went to their studies. 

Meantime the express train was giving occa- 
sional premonitory snorts, and the four young 
ladies who had been so thoroughly discussed were 
in various stages of unrest, waiting for the mo- 
ment of departure. A looker-on would have 
been able to come to marked conclusions con- 
cerning the different characters of these young 


82 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

ladies, simply from their manner of dres*. 
Flossy Shipley was the one to look at first. That 
was a very good description of her usual style — 
something to look at. She had chosen for hei 
traveling dress a pale, lavender cashmere, of that 
delightful shade that resents a drop of water as 
promptly as a drop of oil. It was trimmed with 
a contrasting shade of silk, and trimmed pro- 
fusely ; yards of gathered trimming, headed by 
yards of flat pleating, and that in turn headed 
by yards of folds. The dainty sack and hat, and 
the four-buttoned gloves, were as faultless as to 
fit and as delicate in color as the dress. In short, 
Miss Flossy looked as though she might be ready 
for an evening concert. Moreover, she felt as if 
she were, or at least she had an uncomfortable 
consciousness as to clothes. She kept a nervous 
lookout for the lower flounce whenever the crowd 
of people surged her way, and brushed vigor- 
ously at the arm of the seat she had chosen ere 
she dared to rest her arm on it. Evidently she 
had given herself over to the martyrdom of 
thinking of and caring for clothes during this 
journey, and I don’t know whether there is a 
greater mart}^rdom made out of a trifle than 


The Question Discussed. 


33 


that. It was one of Flossy’s besetting sins, this 
arraying herself in glory, and making wrinkles 
in her face in the vain attempt to keep so. Not 
that she was particularly anxious to save the 
wear and tear, only she hated to look spotted 
and wrinkled, and she could never seem to learn 
the simple lesson of wearing the things best 
suited to the occasion. 

Standing near her, toying carelessly with her 
traveling fan, and looking as though the thought 
of dress was something that had passed ut- 
terly by her, was Miss Erskine. She looked like 
one of those ladies whom gentlemen in their wis- 
dom are always selecting, pointing them out as 
models. “ So tastetul and appropriate, and 
withal so simple in their dress.” 

Let me tell you about her dress. It was plain 
dark brown, precisely the shade of brown that 
the fashion of the season required. It was of 
soft, lusterless silk. It was very simply made, 
almost severely plain, as Miss Erskine knew be- 
came a traveler. In fact, elegant simplicit) 
marked her entire toilet, everything matched, 
everything was fresh and spotless, and arranged 
with an eve to remaining so. I am willing to 
concede that she was faultlessly dressed, and it 


84 Four Girls at Chautauqua,. 

was a real pleasure to see her thus. But I am 
also anxious to have the gentlemen understand 
that that same simple attire represented more 
money than two wardrobes like Flossy Shipley’s. 
It is often so with those delightfully plain and 
simple dresses that attract so many people. In 
fact, it might as well be admitted, since we are 
on that subject, that elegant simplicity is some- 
times a very expensive article. 

Eurie Mitchell was neither particularly ele- 
gant nor noted for simplicity, yet her dress was 
not without character. We see enough of that 
sort to become familiar with what it means. Its 
language is simply a straightened purse, necessi- 
tating the putting together of shades that do 
not quite harmonize, and trimming in a way that 
will cover the most spots and take the least Ma- 
terial. That was Eurie’s dress. Skirt of one 
kind and overdress of another. A very econom- 
ical fashion, and one not destined to last long, be- 
cause of its economy, and the fact that very ele- 
gant ladies rather curl their lips at it, and call it 
the “ patchwork style.” Eurie from necessity 
rather than choice adopted it, and it was also her 
misfortune rather than her taste that the colors 


The Question Discussed. 


35 


were too light to be really according to the 
mode. Her gloves were of an entirely different 
shade from the rest of the attire, and were mended 
with a shade of silk that did not quite match 
Altogether, Eurie’s dress did not suit Miss Ers* 
kine. But, for that matter, neither did it suit 
herself, with this difference, that it was, after 
all, a matter of minor importance to her. 

Miss Wilbur’s dress can be disposed of in a 
single sentence : It was a black alpaca skirt, not 
too long, and severely plain, covered to within 
three inches with a plain brown linen polonaise ; 
her black hat with a band of velvet about it, 
fastened by a single heavy knot, and her some- 
what worn black gloves completed her toilet, and 
she looked every inch a lady. The very people 
who would have curled their aristocratic lips at 
Eurie’s attempt at style, turned and gave Miss 
Wilbur a second thoughtful respectful look. 

There was a Mr. Wayne who deserves atten- 
tion. He possessed himself of Miss Erskine’a 
fan, and played with it carelessly, while he said : 

“You are a queer set. What are you all go- 
ing off there for, to bury yourselves in the woods ? 
I don't believe one of you has an idea what you 


66 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

are about. And it is the very height of the sea- 
son, too.” 

“ That is the trouble,” Miss Erskine said, with 
a little toss of her handsome head. “We are 
sick of the season, and want to get away from 
it. I want something new. That is precisely 
what I am going for.” 

“ I have no doubt you will find it,” and the 
gentleman gave a disdainful shrug to his shoul- 
ders. “ Out in the backwoods attending a halle- 
lujah meeting ! I am sure I envy you.” 

“You don’t know what we will find,” Eurie 
Mitchell said, with a defiant air. “ Nor what 
may happen to us before we return. We may 
meet our destinies. I have no doubt they are 
lurking for us behind some of the trees. Just 
you meet the evening train of Wednesday, two 
weeks hence, and see if you can not discover the 
finger of fate having been busy with us. Won- 
derful things can happen in two weeks.” 

Just then the train gave its last warning howl, 
and Mr. Wayne made rapid good-bys, a trifle 
more lingering in the case of Miss Erskine than 
the others, and with that prophetic sentence still 
ringing in his ears he departed. And the four 
girls were actually en route for Chautauqua. 


CHAPTER III. 


ENTERING THE CURRENT. 

is a queer thought, not to say a start* 
vjgvj ling one, what very trifles about us are 
constantly giving object lessons on our charac- 
ters. Those four girls, as they arranged them* 
selves in the cars for their all-day journey con- 
veyed four different impressions to the critical 
looker-on. In the first place they each selected 
and took possession of an entire seat, though 
the cars were filling rapidly, and many an anx- 
ious woman and heavily laden man looked re- 
proachfully at them. They took these whole 
seats from entirely different stand-points — Miss 
Erskine because she was a finished and selfish 
traveler; and although she did not belong to 

that absolutely unendurable class, who occupy 

( 37 1 


38 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

room that is not theirs until a conductor inter 
feres, she yet regularly appropriated and kept 
the extra seat engaged with her flounces until 
she was asked outright to vacate it by one more 
determined than the rest. She hated company 
and avoided it when possible. Flossy Shipley 
was willing, nay, ready, to give up her extra 
seat the moment a person of the right sort ap- 
peared ; not simply a cleanly, respectable indi- 
vidual — they might pass by the dozens — but 
one who attracted her, who was elegantly dressed 
and stylish looking. Flossy would endure being 
crowded if only the person who did it was styl- 
ish. Miss Wilbur was indifferent to the whole 
race of human beings ; she cared as little as pos- 
sible whether a well-dressed lady stood or sat ; 
so far as she was concerned they were apt to do 
the former. She neither frowned nor smiled 
when the time came that she was obliged to 
move; she simply moved , with as unconcerned 
and indifferent a face as she had worn all the 
time. As for Eurie Mitchell, she took an entire 
seat, as she did most other things, from pure 
heedlessness ; any one was welcome who wanted 
to sit with her, and whether it was a servant 


Entering the Current . 


59 


girl or a princess was a matter of no moment. 
These various shades of feeling were nearly as 
fully expressed in their faces as though they had 
spoken ; and yet they did not in the least com- 
prehend their own actions. This is only an ii 
lustration ; it was so in a hundred little nothings 
during the day. Not a window was raised or 
closed for their benefit, hot a turn of a blind 
made, that a close student of human nature 
could not have seen the distinct and ruling dif- 
ferences in their temperaments, no matter from 
what point of the compass they started. In the 
course of time they reached East Buffalo. 

“ Now for our dinners ! ” Eurie said, as the 
whistle shrieked a warning that the station was 
being neared. “ What are we going to do ? ” 

“We are going to eat them, I presume, as 
usual,” Miss Erskine said in her mos* indifferent 
tone, I should explain that long before this the 
girls had grown weary of the separate seats, and 
by dint of much planning and the good-natured 
removal of two fellow passengers to other 
had accomplished an arrangement that should 
naturally have been enjoyed from the begin 
nmg : that of a turned seat, and being their own 
seat-mates. 


40 Four {jfirls at Chautauqua. 

“But I mean,” Eurie said, in no wise quern lied 
by wliat was a common enough manner in Miss 
Erskine, “ are we to get a lunch, or are we to go 
in to a regular dinner ? ” 

“ If you mean what I am going to do, I shall 
most assuredly have a ‘ regular ’ dinner, as you 
call it. I have no fancy for eating things thrown 
together in a bag.” 

“ The bag will be the most economical process 
for all that,” Eurie said, laughing at Miss Ers- 
kine’s disdainful face. 

“ I presume very likely ; but as I did not start 
on this trip for the purpose of studying social 
economy, I shall vote for the dinner.” 

“ And I shall take to the bag method,” Eurie 
said, decidedly. Opposition always decided her. 
So it did Flossy, though in a different way ; she 
was sure to side with the stronger party. 

“It would be pleasanter for us all to keep to- 
gether,” she began in a doubtful tone, looking 
first at Miss Erkine and then at Eurie. 

“ But since, according to Eurie’s and my de 
cided differences, it is impossible for us to do 
the “better” thing, which of the two worse 
things are you going to do ? ” This Miss El’s* 


Entering the Current . 


41 


kine said with utmost good nature, but 'with 
utmost determination — as much as it would 
have taken to carry out a good idea in the face 
of opposition. 

“ Oh, I think I’ll go with you.” Flossy said 
it hastily, as if she feared that she might appear 
foolish in the eyes of this young lady by having 
fancied anything else. 

“Very well — then it remains for Marion to 
choose her company,” Eurie said, composedly. 

Marion held up a paper bundle. 

“It is already chosen,” she said, promptly. 
“ It is a slice of bread and butter, with a very 
thin slice of fat ham, which I never eat, and a 
greasy doughnut, the whole done up in a brown 
paper. This is decidedly an improvement on 
the bag dinner (which you think of going after) 
in an economical point of view ; and as I am a 
student of social and all other sorts of economy, 
not only on this trip but on every other trip of 
mine in this mortal life, I recommend it to you ; 
at least I would have done so if you had asked 
me this morning before you left home.” 

Eurie made a grimace. 

“ I might have brought a splendid lunch from 


42 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

home if I had only thought of such a thing,” she 
said, regretfully. “My thoughts always come 
afterward.” 

“And it is quite the mode to take lunches 
with you when they are elegantly put up,” 
Flossy said, regretfully, as she prepared to fol- 
low Ruth. “ I wonder we never thought of it. 

This last remark of Flossy’s set the two girls 
left behind into a hearty laugh. 

“ Do you suppose that when Flossy has to die 
she will be troubled lest it may not be the fashion 
for young ladies to die that season ? ” Eurie 
said, looking after the pretty little doll as she 
gathered her skirts about her anxiously; for, 
whatever other qualifications East Buffalo may 
have, cleanliness is not one of them. 

“No,” Marion answered, gravely, “not the 
least danger of it, because it happens to be the 
fashion for ladies to die at all seasons ; it is the 
one thing that never seems to go out. I am 
heartily glad that we have one thing that remains 
absolute in this fashionable world.” 

Eurie looked at her thoughtfully. 

“ Marion, one would think you were religious 
- sometimes,” she said, gravely. “ You make 
»uch strange remarks.” 


Entering the Current . 


43 


Marion laughed immoderately. 

“ You ridiculous little infidel ! ” she sa;d, as soon 
as she could speak. “ You do not even know 
enough about religion to detect the difference 
between goodness and wickedness. Why, that 
was one of my wickedest remarks, and here you 
are mistaking it for goodness. My dear child, 
run and get your paper bag before it is time to 
go ; or will you have my slice of ham and half 
tins doughnut? The bread and butter I want 
myself.” 

The freshness and novelty of this journey wore 
away before the long summer afternoon began to 
wane ; the cars were crowded and uncomforta- 
ble, and the cinders flew about in as trying a way 
as cinders can. 

None of the girls had the least idea where they 
were going. They knew, in a general way, that 
there must be such a place as Chautauqua Lake, 
as the papers that they chanced to come in con- 
tact with had been full of the delights of that 
region for many months ; and, indeed, a young 
man, earnest, enthusiastic and sensible, who 
stopped over night at Dr. Mitchell’s, and had 
been a delighted guest at the Chautauqua Assem 


44 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

bly a year before, had sown the first seeds that 
resulted in this trip. 

He of course could tell the exact route and 
the necessary steps to be taken ; but it had been 
no part of Eurie ’3 wisdom to ask about the jour- 
ney thither ; she knew how many boats were on 
the lake, and what kind of fish could be caught 
in it, but the most direct way to reach it was a 
minor matter. So there they were, simply blun- 
dering along, in the belief that the railroad offi- 
cials knew their business, and would get them 
somewhere sometime. 

As the day waned, and the road became more 
unknown to them, and their weariness grew upon 
them, they fell to indulging in those stale jokes 
that young ladies will perpetrate when they don’t 
know wnat else to do. As they declared, with 
much laughter, and many smart ways of saying 
it, that Chautauqua w?j a myth of Eurie’s brain, 
or that sh^ had been the dupe of the fine young 
theological student who had chanced her way 
and that the search for paradise would come to 
naught, pernaps it was not all joking ; for, as 
the hours passed and they journeyed on, hearing 
nothing about the place of which for the lasf 


Entering the torrent. 


46 


few weeks they had thought so much, a queei 
feeling began to steal over them that there really 
was no such spot, and that they were all a set of 
idiots. 

‘ I thought we should have been there by 
this time, and regularly established at house- 
keeping,” Marion said, as they picked up baskets 
and bundles and prepared to change cars ; “ and 
here we are making another change. This is the 
third this afternoon, or is it the thirteenth ? and 
who knows where Brocton is or what it is ? I* 
anybody sure that it is in this hemisphere? 
Eurie, you are certain that your theological stu- 
dent did not cross the Atlantic in order to reach 
his elysium ? ” 

“ Brocton is here” Eurie said, as they climbed 
the steps of the car. “I see the name on that 
building yonder ; though whether ‘ here * is 
America or Asia 1 am unable to say. I think 
we have come overland, but it is so long since 
we started I may have forgotten.” 

But at this point they checked their nonsense 
and began to get up a new interest in existence. 
They were among a different class of people — 
earnest, eager people, who seemed to have no 


4t> Four Grirls at Chautauqua . 

thought of yawns or weariness. Camp-stools 
abounded, with here and there a bundle looking 
like quilts and pillows. Every lady had a water- 
proof and every man an umbrella, and the talk 
was of “ tents,” and “ division meetings,” and 
“ the morning boats,” with stray words like 
“ Fairpoint ” and “ Mayville ” coming in every 
now and then, These two words, the girls knew 
had to do with their hopes ; so they began to 
feel revived. 

“ I actually begin to think there is some foun- 
dation for Eurie’s wild fancies after all,” Marion 
whispered, “ or else this is another party of luna- 
tics as wild as ourselves ; but they are a large 
and respectable party ; I’m rather hopeful.” 

In two minutes more the railroad official who 
speaks in the unknown tongue yelped something 
at either door, and thereupon everybody got up 
and began to prepare for an exit. 

“ Do you think he said Mayville ? ” questioned 
Eurie with a shade of anxiety in her voice. 
She had been the leader of this scheme, and she 
felt just a trifle of responsibility. 

“ Haven’t the least idea,” Marion said, com- 
posedly gathering her wrappings ; “ it sounded 


Entering the Current. 


41 


as much like any other word you happen to think 
of as it did like that, but everybody is going, and 
Flossy and I are determined to be in the fashion, 
so we go too.” 

At the door dismay seized upon Flossy. A 
light drizzly rain was falling. Oh, the lavender 
suit ! and her waterproof tucked away in her 
trunk, and every body pushing and trying to pass 
her. 

“ Never mind,” Marion said, with utmost good 
nature, “ here is mine ; I haven’t any trunk, so it 
is handy ; and it has rained on my old alpaca for 
ages ; can’t hurt that, so wrap yourself up and 
come along, for I believe in my heart that this 
is Mayville.” 

“ This way to the Mayville House,” said the 
gentlemanly official, touching his hat as politely 
as though they had been princesses. Why can’t 
hotel subordinates more often show a little com- 
mon politeness ? This act decided the location 
of these four girls in a twinkling ; they knew 
nothing about any of the hotels, and, other 
things being equal, anybody would rather go to 
a place to which they had been decently invited 
than to be elbowed and yelled at and forced. 


48 


Four Girls at Chautauaua. 


Water and rest and tea did much to restore 
them to comfort, and as they discussed matters 
in their rooms afterward they assured each other 
that the Mayville House was just the place to 
stop at. A discussion was in progress as to the 
evening meeting. Miss Erskine had taken down 
her hair and donned a becoming wrapper, and 
reposed serenely in the rocking-chair, offering 
no remark beyond the composed and decided, 
“ I am not going over in the woods to-night b} r 
any manner of means ; that would be enough if 
I were actually one of the lunatics instead of a 
nild looker-on.” 

“I haven’t the least idea of going, either,” 
Eurie said, sitting on a stool, balancing her 
stockinged feet against Ruth’s rocker. “ Not 
that I mind the rain, or that it wouldn’t be fun 
enough if I were not so dead tired. But I tell 
you, girls, I have had to v r ork like a soldier to 
get ready, and having the care of such a set as 
you have been all day has been too much for me. 
A religious meeting would just finish me. I’m 
going to save myself up for morning. You are 
a goosie to go, Marion. It is as dark as ink, and 
is raining. What can you see to-night ? ” 


Entering the Current . 


49 


“ I tell you I’ve got to go,” Marion said, as she 
quietly unstrapped her shawl. “ I earn my 
bread, as you are very well aware, by teaching 
school ; but my butter, and a few such delica- 
cies, I get by writing up folks and things. I’ve 
promised to give a melting account of this first 
meeting, and I have no idea of losing the chance. 
Flossy Shipley, you may wear my waterproof ev 
3ry minute if you will go with me. It is long 
enough to drag a quarter of a yard, and a lain 
drop can not get near enough to think of y >u. f 

“ But it is so damp,” shivered Flossy, looking 
drearily out into the night, “ and so dark, Mar- 
ion, I am afraid to go.” 

“Plenty of people going. What is there to 
be afraid of? We go down from here in a car- 
riage.” 

“I wouldn’t go, Flossy,” chimed in a voice 
from the rocker and one from the ottoman. 

“ It will be very damp there,” pleaded Flossy, 
who did like to be accommodating. 

“ You may have ten thicknesses of my shawl 
to sit on,” urged Marion. “ Come, now, Flossy 
Shipley. I didn’t have the least idea of coaxing 
those other girls to go, for every one knows they 


60 


Four ixiris at Chautauqua . 


are selfish and will do as they please ; but I did 
think you would keep me company. It really 
isn’t pleasant to think of going alone.” 

The end of it was that Flossy, done up in a 
cloak twice too large for her, went off looking 
like the martyr that she was, and Eurie and 
Ruth staid in their room and laughed over the 
ridiculousness of Flossy Shipley going out in the 
night and the rain, in a lavender cashmere, to 
attend a religious meeting I 



CHAPTER IV. 



FAIRPOINT. 

[T was not so very dark after all, nor so 
disagreeable as she had imagined. She 
sat curled up in a heap on the deck of the Col. 
Phillips, looking with interested eyes on the 
groups of people, who, despite the rain and dark 
ness, were evidently on their way to Chautau- 
qua. Marion had gone to the other side of the 
boat and was looking over into the water, rested 
and interested in spite of herself by the novelty 
of the scene around her. The fellow-passengers 
seemed not to be novices like themselves, for as 
their talk floated to the girls it had sentences 
like these : 

“ Last year we stopped in the village, but this 

time we are going to be right on the ground.” 

( 51 ) 


52 


Four Grirls at Chautauqua . 


“ Last year it rained, too ; but rain makes no 
difference at Chautauqua.” 

“ They are all last year’s people,” said Marion, 
coming over to Flossy’s side. “ That speaks 
well for the interest, or the fun, doesn’t it ? 
Now what do ycu suppose takes all these people 
to this place ? ” 

“ I don’t know,” Flossy said thoughtfully. 
“ I never thought much about it. Perhaps some 
of them came just as I did, because the girls 
were coding and asked me to. I’m sure I 
haven’*- die least idea what else I came for.” 

Marion looked down on the little creature 
done up in water-proof, with a half-pitying 
P ugh. 

“You are a good little mouse, ’’she said patroniz- 
ingly. “ I never remember doing anything with- 
out a motive somewhere. It must be refreshing 
to forget that important individual now and 
then.” 

“ Oh, I don’t,” Flossy said, simply. “ Of 
course I came for the good time I would have. 
But then, you know, I would never have thought 
of coming if the rest of you hadn’t.” 

Another laugh from Marion. 


Fairpoint. 


53 


• k You let others do your thinking for you,” she 
said, with just a touch of contempt, covered by 
the gayety of the tone. “ Well, it is much the 
easier way. If I could find anyone to undertake 
the task, I should like to try it for myself.” 

Flossy’s answer was a little scream of delight, 
for they were coming upon fairy-land ; the lights 
of Fairpoint were gleaming in the soft distance, 
and very fairy-like they looked shining among 
the trees. The sound of music on the steamer 
mingled charmingly with the peal of the bells 
from the shore. Marion looked on the scene 
with quiet interest. Flossy’s face took a pink 
glow ; she liked pretty things. As for those who 
had been at Chautauqua the year before, they 
gathered at the vessel’s side as those gather who, 
after a long and tiresome journey, realize that 
they are nearing home. They were eager and 
excited. 

“ The dock is better,” said one. 

“ Yes, and the passage way is larger,” chimed 
in liis nearest neighbor. 

“ Oh, everything is on an improved scale thia 
year,” said still a third, speaking confidently. 

“ The meeting can’t be any better,” spoke a 


54 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

quiet-faced woman, with a decided voice, “ that 
is simply impossible.” 

Marion laughed softly. 

“ Hear the lunatics !” she said, bending to give 
Flossy the benefit of her words. “They are 
just infatuated ; they think this is the original 
Garden of Eden, with that wretched Eve left 
out. If she were here I would choke her with 
a relish.” This last in a muttered undertone, too 
low for even Flossy, and with a darkening face. 

Meantime the boat rounded the point, the 
plank was laid, and the feet of the eager passen- 
gers touched the shores of Chautauqua. Some 
detention about tickets, arising from a misunder- 
standing of terms, made our girls lose sight and 
sound of the rest of the boat-load, and when the} 
passed within the railing they found themselves 
suddenly and strangely alone. A few lights 
glimmered in the trees, enough to point the way, 
and from the cottages near at hand streams of 
light shot out into the darkness ; but no sound 
of footsteps, no sight of human being appeared 

“ Over the river, on the hill, 

Another village lieth still,” 


quo**d Marion, gravely. Then : 


Fair 'point. 


55 


“ I say, Flossy, wliat does it all meau ? Are 
we among a party of witches, do you suppose ? 
Where could those congenial spirits so suddenly 
have conveyed themselves away, I wonder ? 
The road isn’t broad, but it most decidedly isn’t 
straight. Only behold that long, long, long array 
of damp and empty seats I Where are the faith- 
ful now, do you suppose ? ” 

44 There isn’t any meeting here to-night, and 
we might have known there wouldn’t be,” Flossy 
said, peevishly, beginning to grow not only dis- 
enchanted but half frightened. “ 1 was never in 
such a queer place in my life I Those white 
seats all look like ghosts. What could have 
possessed you to come to-night ? Of course they 
wouldn’t have meeting in the rain I Marion, do 
let us go back ; I am frightened out of my 
wits I” 

44 You blessed little simpleton! ” said Marion, 
gaily. 44 What on earth is there to be fright- 
ened over? Not pine seats and lamplight, 
surely, and there is nothing more formidable 
than that so far.” 

“ 1 wish with all my heart that I were safely 
back in the hotel, where I would have been if 


56 Four Girl* at Chautauqua. 

you had not coaxed me away,” sighed, or rathei 
whined, poor Flossy, shivering with chilliness of 
nervousness, and added : “ Come, Marion, do let 
us go back with that boat, it can’t have started 
yet.” 

Marion grasped her hand firmly, and .spoke 
like a commander : 

“ Flossy Shiple} r , don’t you go to getting nerv- 
ous and acting like a simpleton, for I won’t 
have it. As for that boat, it is half way to May- 
ville by this time, and I am glad of it. Do you 
suppose I am going to make an ignominious re- 
treat now, when we have got so far advanced ? 
Not a bit of it. If there is no meeting, we will 
go where there ought to be one, since it was ad- 
vertised, and not a word said about rain. It 
isn’t likely they stay out-doors w hen it actually 
pours. Very likely they go in somewhere and 
have a prayer-meeting. So no v compose your 
nerves and walk fast, for if the spot is within 
walking distance I am going to find it. I tell 
you I am to get ten dollars at least for writing 
up this meeting, and I am going to write it if 
there is one to write about. If there isn’t I shall 
have to make up one. I dare say I could make 


Fairpoint . 


57 


it interesting. I’ll put you in if I do, and yon 
shall be Mrs. Fearful — in Pilgrim’s Progress, 
you know — if you don’t stop shivering and walk 
faster.” 

During this time they had really been making 
as rapid progress as the up-hill way and their 
doubt of the road would allow. Flossy made 
no reply to this harangue, for the reason that a 
sudden turn in the path brought them into bright 
light and the sound of a ringing voice. 

“ There ! ” whispered Marion as the mammoth 
tent came in view. “What did I tell you? 
What do you think of that for a prayer-meet- 
ing ? ” And then she, too, relapsed into silence, 
for the ringing tones of the speaker’s voice were 
distinct and clear. They made their way rapidly 
and silently under the tent, down the aisle — half 
way down — then a gentleman beckoned them, 
and by dint of some pushing and moving secured 
them seats. Then both girls looked about them 
in astonishment. Who would have supposed 
that it rained ! Why, there were rows and rows 
and rows of heads, men and women, and even 
children. A tent larger than they had imagined 
enuld be built and packed with people. 


58 Four Girls at Chautauqua, 

Marion’s tongue was uncontrollable. She waa> 
barely seated before she began her whispered 
comments : 

“That man who is speaking is Dr. Vincent. 
Hasn’t he a ringing voice ? It reminds me of a 
trumpet. He likes to use it, I know he does ; 
he has learned to manage it so nicely, and with 
an eye to the effect. You will hear his voice 
often enough, and you just watch and see if you 
dcn’t learn to know the first echo of it from any 
other.” 

“ Perhaps he won’t be here all the time to use 
his voice,” whispered back Flossy, without much 
idea what she was saying. The novelty of the 
scene had stolen her senses. 

Marion laughed softly. 

“ You blessed little idiot ! ” she said, “ don’t 
you know that he manufactured Chautauqua, 
root and branch? Or if he didn’t quite manufact- 
ure the trees he looked after their growth, I 
dare say. Why, this meeting is his darling, his 
idol, his best beloved. ‘ Hear him speak ? ’ I 
guess you will. I should like to see a meeting 
ot this kind that didn’t hear from him. It will 
have to be when he is out of the body.” 


Fair point. 


5y 


“How do you know about him ? ” whispered 
Flossy, struck with sudden curiosity. 

“ I’ve written him up,” Marion said, briefly. 
“ I’ve had to do it several times. Oh, I’m a veteran 
at Sunday-school meetings. But he is the hard- 
est man to write about that there is among them, 
because you can never tell what he may happen 
to say or do next. It will never do to jump at 
his conclusions, and slip in a neat little sentence 
of your own as coming from him if you don’t 
happen to have taken very profuse notes, because 
as sure as you do he will spring up in some tire- 
some meeting in less than a week and unsay ev- 
ery single word that you said. , He said — ” 

At this point a poor martyr, who had the mis- 
ery to sit directly in front of these two whisper- 
ers, turned and gave them such a look as only a 
man can under like circumstances, and awed 
them into five minutes of quiet. It lasted until 
Dr. Eggleston was announced. Then Marion’s 
tongue broke loose again : 

“He is the ‘Hoosier Schoolmaster.’ Don’t 
you know we read his book aloud at the semi- 
nary? Looks as though he might have written 
it, doesn’t he ? Let’s listen to what lie says. He 


60 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


always says a word or two that a body can re 
port ; very few of them do.” 

■ This is a fair specimen of the way in which 
Miss Wilbur buzzed through that meeting — that 
wonderful meeting, that Flossy Shipley will re 
member all her life. She made no answer to 
Marion’s comments after a little, and the pink 
flush glowed deeper on her face. She was won- 
derfully interested — indeed she was more than 
interested. There was a strange feeling of pain 
at her heart, a sort of sick, longing feeling that 
she had never felt before, to understand what all 
these people meant, to feel as they seemed to 
feel. 

The Christian world is more to blame for the 
unspoken infidelity that thrives in its circles 
than is generally supposed. Flossy Shipley had 
been in many religious meetings, but she had 
really never in her life before been among a large 
gathering of cultured people, who were eager 
and excited and happy, and the cause for that 
eagerness and that happiness been found in the 
religion of Jesus Christ. I do not say that there 
had never been such meetings before, nor that 
there have not been many of them. I simply 


Fair point. 


61 


say that it was a new revelation to Flossy, and 
she had been to the church prayer-meeting at 
home several times. Whether that church may 
have been peculiar or not I do not say, but Flossy 
had certainly failed to get the idea that prayer- 
meetings were blessed places; that the people 
who went there from week to week found 
their joy and their rest and their comfort there. 
She began to have an unutterable sense of want 
and longing creeping over her; she stole shy 
glances at Marion to see if she felt this, but Mar- 
ion was absorbed just then in catching the speak- 
er’s last sentence and writing it down. Her face 
expressed nothing but business earnestness. 
Speech-making concluded, there came the “ cove- 
nant service.” 

“ I wonder what that is supposed to be ? ” 
whispered Marion. “ It sounds like something 
dreadfully solemn. I hope they are not going 
to have any scenes. Revivals are not fashiona- 
ble except in the winter.” 

“Marion, don't!” Flossy said, in an earnest 
undertone. The gay, and what for the first 
time struck her as the sacrilegious words, chilled 
her. And for almost the first time in her life &b» 


62 Four Grirls at Chautauqua . 

uttered an unhesitating remonstrance. Some- 
thing in the tone surprised Marion, and she 
looked curiously down at her little companion,, 
but said not another word. 

The covenant service was the simplest of all 
services ; in fact, only the singing of a familiar 
hymn and the offering of a prayer. But the 
hymn was read first, in such solemn, tender, 
pleading tones as it seemed to Flossy she had 
never heard before ; and the singing rolled 
around that great tent like the voices of the ten 
thousand who sing before the throne — at least 
to Flossy’s heart it seemed like that. The 
prayer that followed was the simplest of all 
prayers as to words, and the briefest public 
prayer she ever remembered to have heard, and 
it made her feel as nothing in life had ever done 
before. She did not understand the cause for 
her emotion ; she was not acquainted with the 
Spirit of God; she did not know that he was 
speaking to her softened heart, and calling her 
gently to himself, so she felt ashamed of the 
emotion that she could not help. She wiped 
the tears away secretly, and was glad that the 
night was dark and the need for haste great, for 


Fair point. 


63 


the steamer’s warning whistle could already be 
heard. Marion talked on as they went down 
the hill, not alone now but accompanied by 
hundreds, talked precisely as she had before the 
singing of those words and the prayer. “ How 
could she ? ” Flossy wondered. “ How could 
anything look the same to her ? ” The Spirit 
had found no softened heart in which to leave a 
message, and so had passed by. This, if Flossy 
had known it, was the reason that Marion was 
gay and indifferent. If either of them had fully 
realized the reason for the different effect of the 
meeting upon them, how startled they would 
have been I It is not strange after all that a 
service is not the same to one soul that it is to 
another, when we remember that God speaks to 
one and passes another. 

The night was still heavy with clouds, not a 
star to lighten the gloom ; a fine mist was fall- 
ing. It was Marion who shivered this time, and 
said: 

“ It is a horrible night, that is a fact ; but I 
am not sorry we went. That meeting will write 
up splendidly, though it was too long; I will say 
that in print about it. You must find some 


64 Four G-irls at Chautauqua. 

fault, you know, when you are writing for the 
public ; it is the fashion.” 

“Was it long?” said Flossy, in an absent 
tone. She had not thought of it in that way, 
Then she went to the side of the boat again and 
sat down in a tumult. What was the mattei 
with her? Where had her complacent, pretty 
little content gone ? Would she always feel so 
sad and anxious and unhappy, have such a long- 
ing as she did now ? If she had been wiser she 
could have told herself that the trouble of heart 
was caused by an unhealthy excitement upon 
this question, and that this was the great fault 
with religious meetings ; but she was not wise, 
she did not think of such a reason. If it had 
been suggested to her it is doubtful if, in her ig- 
norance, she would not have said : “ Why, she 
had been more excited at an evening party a 
hundred times than she had thought of being 
then ! ” She actually did not know that eager- 
ness and zeal are proper enough at parties, but 
utterly out of place in religion. Just in front 
of her sat a young man who hummed in under- 
tone the closing words of the covenant song. It 
brought the tears again to Flossy’s eyes. He 
turned suddenly toward her. 


Fairpoint. 65 

“ It was a pleasant service,” he said. “ Don’t 
you think so ? ” 

It was rather startling to be addressed by a 
strange young gentleman, or would have been if 
his voice had not been so quiet and dignified, as 
if it were the most natural thing in the world to 
compare notes with one who had just come out 
lrom the great meeting. 

“I don’t know whether it was or not,” she 
said, hurriedly. She could not seem to decide 
whether she enjo}^ed it or hated it. 

“ It was blessed to me,” the young man said, 
in quiet voice; and added in undertone, as if 
speaking to himself only : “ God was there.” 

“ Do you feel that ? ” said Flossy, suddenly. 
“ Then I wonder that you were not afraid.” 

He turned toward her a pleasant face and 
said, earnestly : 

“You would not be afraid of your father, 
would you? Well, God is my Father, my rec- 
onciled Father;” And then, after a moment, he 
added : “ If I were not at peace with him, and 
had reason to think that he was angry with me, 
then it would be different. Then I suppose 1 
should be afraid ; at least I think it would b« 
veasonable to be.” 


66 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

Flossy spoke out of the fullness of a troubled 
heart : 

“ I don’t understand it at all. I never wanted 
to, either, until just to-night ; tut now I want to 
feel as those people did when they sang that 
hymn.” 

Marion came quickly up from the other side. 

“Flossy,” she said, with sudden sharpness, 
“come over here and watch the track of the 
boat through the water.” And as Flossy me- 
chanically obeyed, she added : “ What a foolish, 
heedless little mouse you are ! I wonder that 
ypur mother let you go from her sight. Don’t 
you know that you mustn’t get up conversations 
with strange young men in that fashion ? ” 

Flossy had not thought of it at all : but now 
she said a little drearily, as if the subject did not 
interest her : 

“But I have often held conversations with 
strange young men at the dancing-hall, you 
know, and danced with them, too, when every - 
thing I knew about them was their names, and 
generally I forgot that.” 

Marion gave a light laugh. 

“ That is different,” she said, letting her lip 


Fair point. 


67 


curl in the darkness over the folly of her own 
words. “ What is proper at a dance is very im- 
proper coming home from prayer-meeting, don’t 
you see ? ” 

“ What do you think I ” she said the minute 
they were in their rooms. “ There was I, lean 
ing meditatively over the boat, thinking sol- 
emnly on the truths I had heard, and that 
absurd little water-proof morsel was having a 
flirtation with a nice young man. Here is one 
of the fruits of the system I What on earth was 
be saying to you, Flossy ? ” 

“ Don’t I ” said Flossy, for the second time 
that evening. “ He wasn’t saying any harm.” 

The whole thing jarred on her with an inex 
pressible and to her bewildering pain. She had 
always been ready for fun before. 

“ That girl is homesick, or something,” Marior, 
said, as she and Eurie went to their rooms, leav- 
ing Flossy with Ruth, who prefered her as a 
room-mate to either of the others because she 
could keep from talking. 

“ I haven’t the least idea what is the matter, 
but she has been as unlike herself as possible. 

1 hope she isn’t going to get sick and spoil ouj 


68 


Four Girls at Chautauqua. 


fun. How silly we were to bring her, anyway. 
The baby hasn’t life enough to see the frolic of 
the thing, and the intellectual is miles beyond 
her. I suspect she was dreadfully bored, this 
evening. But, Eurie, there is going to be some 
splendid speaking done here. I shouldn’t won- 
der if we attended a good many of the meet 
ings.” 



CHAPTER V. 



TJKBEST. 

^jLOSSY went to the window and stood 
looking out into the starless night. The 
pain in her heart deepened with every 
moment. 

“ If there was only some one to ask, some one 
to say a word to me,” she sighed to herself. “ It 
seems as though I could never go to sleep with 
this feeling clinging to me. I wonder what can 
be the matter ? Perhaps I am sick and am go- 
ing to die. It feels almost like that, and I am not 
fit to die — lam afraid. I wonder if Ruth Ers- 
kine is afraid to die ? I have almost a mind to 
ask her. I wonder if she ever prays? People 
who are not afraid of death are always those 
who pray. Perhaps she will to-night. I feel as 

though I wanted to pray ; I think if I only knew 

( 69 ) 


TO Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

how it would be just the thing to do. If she 
kneels down I mean to go and kneel beside her.” 

These were some of the thoughts that whirled 
through her brain as she stood with her nose 
pressed to the glass. But Ruth did not pray. 
She went around with the composed air of one 
who was at peace with all the world ; and when 
her elaborate preparations for rest were con- 
cluded she laid her head on her pillow with- 
out one thought of prayer. 

“ Why in the name of sense don’t you come to 
bed ? ” she presently asked, surveying with curi- 
ous glance the quiet little creature whose face 
was hidden from her, and who was acting en- 
tirely out of accordance with anything she had 
ever seen in her before. “ What can you possi- 
bly find to keep you gazing out of that window ? 
It can’t be called star-gazing, for to my certain 
knowledge there isn’t a single star visible ; in 
fact, I should say nothing could be visible but 
the darkness.” 

For a minute Flossy made no answer. She 
did not move nor turn her head ; but presently 
she said, in a low and gentle voice : 

“ Ruth, should you be afraid to die ? ” 


Unrest . 


71 


“ To die ! ” said Ruth ; and I have no means 
of telling you what an astonished face and voice 
she had. “ Flossy Shipley, what do you mean ? ” 
“ Why, I mean that” said Flossy, in the same 
quiet tone. “ Of course we have got to die, and 
everybody knows it ; and what I say is, should 
you be afraid if it were to-night, you know ? ” 

“ Humph ! ” said Ruth, turning her pillow 
and waiting to beat it into shape before she spoke 
further. “ I haven’t the least idea of dying to- 
night.” 

“ But how can you be sure of that ? Yon 
might have to die to-night, you know people dc 
sometimes.” 

“ I know one thing, am perfectly certain of it, 
and that is, that you will take cold standing 
there and making yourself dismal. You are 
shivering like a leaf, I can see you from here. 
If that is all the good to be gotten from the ‘ re- 
ligious impressions ’ that they harp about being 
so great here, the less religion they have the bet- 
ter, and there is quite little enough you may be 
sure.” Saying which, Ruth turned her pillow 
again and her head, so that she could not see the 
small creature at the window. She was unao 


72 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

countably rasped, not to say startled, by hei 
question, and she did not like to be startled ; she 
liked to have her current of life run smoothly. 

As for Flossy, she gave a great sigh of disap- 
pointment and unrest, and turned slowly from 
the window. She had vaguely hoped for help 
of some sort from Ruth, and as she lay down on 
her prayerless pillow she said to herself, “ If she 
had only knelt down I should certainly have 
done so, too ; and perhaps I might have been 
helped out of this dreadful feeling.” Yet so ig- 
norant was she of the way that it never once 
occurred to her to kneel alone and pray. 

No more words were spoken by those two 
girls that night, but each lay awake for a long 
time and tossed about restlessly. Ruth had been 
most effectually disturbed, and try as best she 
could it was impossible to banish the memory of 
those quiet words : “ You might have to die to- 
night ; people do, you know.” To actually have to 
do something that she had not planned to do, 
and was not quite ready for, would be a new ex- 
perience to this girl. Yet when would she be 
ready to plan for dying? At last she grew 
thoroughly vexed, and vented her disgust on the 


Unrest . 


73 


u religionists” who got up camp-meeting excite- 
ments for the purpose of turning weak brains 
like Flossy Shipley’s. After that she went to 
sleep. 

“ Flossy Shipley, for pity’s sake dorCt rig your- 
self up in that awful cashmere ! It rains yet, 
and you will just be going around with five 
wrinkles on your forehead all day, besides spoil- 
ing your dress.” 

It was morning, and the door of communication 
between the two sleeping-rooms being thrown 
open the four girls were in full tide of talk and 
preparation for Fairpoint. Flossy, though kept 
her strangely quiet face and manner ; the 
night had not brought her peace ; she had tossed 
restlessly for hours, and when at last she slept it 
was only to be haunted with troubled dreams. 
With the first breath of morning she opened her 
eyes and felt that the weight of yesterday was 
still pressing on her heart. 

“ What shall I wear ? ” she asked, in an absent, 
bewildered way of Eurie, who had objected to 
the cashmere. 

“ I’m sure I don’t know. Didn’t you bring 
anything suited to the rain ? Let me go fishing 


74 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

in that ponderous trunk and see if I can’t find 
something.” 

The “ fishing ” produced nothing more suitable 
than a heavy black silk, elaborately trimmed, and 
looking, as Eurie phrased it, “ elegantly out of 
place.” 

Through much confusion and frolicking the 
four were at last entering the grounds at Chau- 
tauqua. By reason of their superior knowledge 
Marion and Flossy led the way, while the others 
followed eagerly, looking and exclaiming. 

“ I’ll tell you what it is, girls,” Eurie said, 
eagerly. “ Let’s come over here and board. 
We’ll have a tent or a cottage. A tent will be 
jollier, and it will be twice as much fun as to 
stay at the hotel.” 

There being no dissenting voice to this propo- 
sal, they started in much glee to look up a home ; 
only Flossy demurred timidly. 

u Can’t we go to the meeting, girls, and look 
for the tent afterward ? The meeting has coim 
menced ; I hear them singing.” 

“ It’s nothing in the world but a Bible service,” 
Eurie said. “ That man at the gate handed me 
a programme. Who wants to go to a Bible ser- 


Unrest. 


75 


vice? We have Bibles enough at home. We 
want to be on hand at eleven o’clock, because 
Edward Eggleston is to speak on 4 The Paradise 
of Childhood.’ My childhood was anything but 
paradise, but I am anxious to know what he will 
make of it.” 

Flossy succumbed, of course, as every one ex- 
pected she would ; and the party went in search 
of tents and accommodations. It was no easy 
matter to suit them, as the patient and courteous 
President found. 

44 1 don’t like the location of any one of them,” 
Ruth Erskine said. Of course she was the 
hardest to suit. 44 Why can’t we have one of 
those in that row on the hill ? ” 

44 Those are the guest tents, ma’am.” 

44 The guest tents?” Eurie exclaimed, in sur- 
prise. 44 1 wonder if they entertain guests here ! 
Who are they ? ” 

44 Why, those who have been invited to take 
part in the exercises, of course. You did not 
suppose that they paid their own expenses and 
did the work besides, did you ? ” 

This explanation was given by Marion, who, 
by virtue of her experience as reporter was bet- 


76 


Four Girls at Chautauqua. 


ter versed in the ways of these great gatherings 
than the others. 

“ What an idea I ” Eurie said. “ Fancy being 
a guest and speaking at this great meeting ! 
Being a person of distinction, you know ; so that 
people would be pointing you out, and telling 
their neighbors who you were. 

“ There goes Miss Mitchell. She is the lead- 
ing speaker on Sunday-school books. How does 
that sound? Only, on the whole, I should 
choose some other department than Sunday- 
school books ; they are all so horridly good — 
the people in them, I mean — that one can’t get 
through with more than two in a season. 1 tried 
to read one last week for Sunday, but I aban- 
doned it in despair.” 

This was an aside, while Ruth was question- 
ing the President. She was looking dismayed. 

“ Can’t we have one of the tents on that side, 
near the stand ? ” 

“ Those were taken months ago. This is a large 
gathering, you know.” 

“ I should think it was ! Then, it seems, we 
must go back to the hotel. I thought you would 
be glad to let us have accommodations at any 
price ” 


Unreal . 


77 


The gentlemanly President here carefully re- 
pressed an amused smile. Here were people 
who had evidently misunderstood Chautauqua. 

“ Oh, yes,” he said, u we can give } r ou accommo- 
dations, only not the very best, I am sorry to 
say. Our best tents were secured many months 
ago. Still, we will do the best we can for you, 
and I think we can make you entirely comfort- 
able.” 

“ People have different ideas as to the mean- 
ing of that word,” Miss Erskine said, loftily. 

Then she moved to another tent, over which 
she exclaimed in dismay : 

“ Why, the bed isn’t made up ! Pray, are we 
to sleep on the slats ? ” 

“ Oh, no. But you have to hire all those 
things, you know. Have you seen our bulletin ? 
There are parties on the ground prepared to fit 
up everything that you need, and to do it very 
reasonably. Of course we can not know what 
degree of expense those requiring tents care to 
incur, so we leave that matter for them to decide 
for themselves. You can have as many or as 
few comforts as you choose, and pay accord 


78 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

“ -nnd are all four of us expected to occupy 
this c.ae room ? ” There was an expression of 
decide! disgust on Miss Erskine’s face. 

“ Way, you see,” explained the amused Pres- 
ident, ‘ this tent is designed for four ; two good- 
sized bedsteads set up in it ; and the necessity 
seems to be upon us to crowd as much as we can 
convenie&dy. There will be no danger of im- 
pure air, you know, for you have all out-doors to 
breathe.” 

“ And yoa really don’t have toilet stands or 
toilet accommodations I What a way to live ! ” 

Another voicu chimed in now, which was the 
very embodiment of refined horror. 

“ And you don t have pianos nor sofas, and the 
room isn’t lighted with gas I I’m sure I don’t 
see how we can live ! It is not what we have 
been accustomed to. 7 ’ 

This was Marion, k vith the most dancing eyes 
in the world, and the President completed the 
scene by laughing outright. Suddenly Ruth 
discovered that she was acting the part of a sim- 
pleton, and with flushed face she turned from 
them, and walked to a vacant seat, in the oppo- 
site direction from where they were standing. 


Unrest. 


79 


•‘We will take this one,” she said, haughtily, 
without vouchsafing it a look. “ I presume it is 
as good as any of them, and, since we are fairly 
into this absurd scrape we must make the best 
of it.” 

“ Or the worst of it,” Marion said, still laugh- 
ing. “You are bent on doing that, I think. 
Ruthie.” 

By a violent effort and rare good sense Ruth 
controlled herself sufficiently to laugh, and the 
embarrassment vanished. There were splendid 
points about this girl’s character, not the least 
among them being the ability to laugh at a joke 
that had been turned toward herself. At least 
the effect was splendid. The reasons, therefore, 
might have been better. It was because hex 
sharp brain saw the better effect that her ability 
to do this thing immediately produced on the 
people around her. But I shall have to confess 
that a poise of character strong enough to grace- 
fully avert unpleasant effects arising from causes 
of her own making ought to have been strong 
enough to have suppressed the causes. 

The question of an abiding-place being thus 
summarily disposed of, the party set themselves 


80 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

to work with great energy to get settled, Marion 
and Enrie taking the lead. Both were used to 
both planning and working, and Marion at least 
had so much of it to do as to have lost all desire 
to lead unnecessarily, and therefore everything 
grew harmonious. 

There was a good deal of genuine disgust in 
Ruth’s part of it, though, her eyes having been 
opened, she bravely tried to hide the feeling 
from the rest. But you will remember that she 
had lived and breathed in an atmosphere of ele- 
gant refinement all her life, accepting the luxu- 
ries of life as common necessities until they had 
really become such to her, and the idea of doing 
without many things that people during camp 
life necessarily find themselves obliged to do 
without was not only strange to her but exceed- 
ingly disagreeable. The two leaders being less 
used to the extremes of luxury, and more indif 
ferent to them by nature, could not understand 
and had little sympathy with her feeling. 

“We shall have to go back after all to the 
hotel,” Eurie said, as she dived both hands into 
the straw tick and tried to level the bed. “We 
have too fine a lady among us : she cannot sleep 


Unrest . 


81 


on a bedstead that doesn’t rest its aristocratic 
legs on a velvet carpet. She doesn’t see the 
fun at all. I thought Flossy would be the silly 
one, but Flossy is in a fit of the dumps. I never 
saw her so indifferent to her dress before. See 
her now, bringing that three-legged stand, with- 
out regard to rain ! There is one comfort in this 
perpetual rain, we shall have less dust. After 
all, though, I don’t know as that is any improve- 
ment, so long as it goes and makes itself up into 
mud. Look at the mud on my dress I That 
tent we were looking at first would have been 
ever so much the best, but after Ruth’s silliness 
I really hadn’t the face to* suggest a change — I 
thought we had given trouble enough. She 
makes a mistake ; she thinks this is a great ho- 
tel, where people are bound to get all the money 
they can and give as little return, instead of its 
being a place where people are striving to be as 
accommodating as they can, and give everybody 
as good a time as possible.” 

In the midst of all this talk and work they 
left and ran up the hill to the Tabernacle, where 
the crowds were gathering to hear Dr. Eggleston. 
It was a novel sight to these four girls ; the great 


82 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

army of eager, strong, expectant faces ; the 
ladies, almost without an exception, dressed to 
match the rain and the woods, looking neither^ 
tired nor annoyed about anything — looking 
only in earnest. To Ruth, especially, it came 
like a revelation. She looked around her with 
surprised eyes. There were intellectual faces 
on every hand. There was the hum of conver- 
sation all about her, for the meeting was not yet 
opened, and the tone of their words was differ- 
ent from any with which her life had been 
familiar ; they seemed lifted up, enthused ; they 
seemed to have found something worthy of 
enthusiasm. As a rule Ruth had not enjoyed 
enthusiastic people ; they had seemed silly to 
her; and you will admit that there is a silly 
side to the consuming of a great deal of that 
trait on the dress for an evening party, or the 
arrangement of programmes for a fancy concert. 
Just now she had a glimmering fancy that there 
might be something worthy of arresting and 
holding one’s eager attention. 

“ They look alive,” she said, turning from 
right to left among the rows and rows of 
faces. “ They look as though they had a good 


Unrest. 


Si 


deal to do, and they thought it was worth 
doing.” 

Then, curiously enough, there came suddenly 
to her mind that question which she had ban- 
ished the night before, and she wondered if these 
people had all really answered it to their satis- 
faction. 

Flossy took a seat immediately in front of the 
speaker. She was hungry for something, and 
she did not know what to call it — something 
that would set her fevered heart at rest. As for 
Marion and Eurie, they hoped with all their 
hearts that the “ Hoosier Schoolmaster ” would 
give them a rich intellectual treat, at least Marion 
was after the intellectual. Eurie would be con- 
tented if she got the fun, and a man like Dr. 
Eggleston has enough of both those elements to 
make sure of satisfying their hopes. But would 
he bring something to help Flossy ? 



CHAPTER VI. 


FEASTS. 



E doesn’t look in the least as I thought 


JgSg? he did.” 


It was Eurie who whispered 


this, and she nudged Marion’s arm by way of 
emphasis as she did it. 

Marion laughed. 

“ How did you think he looked ? ” 

“ Oh, I don’t know — rough, rather.” 

Whereupon Marion laugned again. 

“ That is the way some people discriminate,” 
she whispered back. “You think because he 
wrote about rough people he must be rough ; 
and when one writes about people of culture 
and elegance you think straightway that he is 
the personification of those ideas. You forget, 


184) 


Feasts. 


85 


you see, that the world is full to the brim with 
hypocrisy; and it is easier to be perfect on 
paper than it is anywhere else in this world.” 

“ Or to be a sinner either, according to that 
view of it.” 

u It is easy enough to be a sinner anywhere, 
flush, I want to listen.” 

For which want the people all about her must 
have been very thankful. Our young ladies 
gave Dr. Eggleston their attention at the mo- 
ment when he was drawling out in his most 
nasal and ludicrous tones the hymn that used to 
be a favorite in Sunday-schools ninety years 
ago: 

“ Broad is the road that leads to death, 

And thousands walk together there, 

But wisdom shows a narrow path. 

With here and there a traveler.” 

The manner in which part of these lines were 
repeated was irresistibly funny. To Eurie it 
was explosively so ; she laughed until the seat 
shook with mirth. To be sure, she knew noth- 
ing about modern Sunday-schools ; for aught 
that she was certain of, they might have sung 
that very hymn in the First Church Sunday* 


8n Four Girls at Chautauqua . ’ 

school the Sabbath before ; and it made not th« 
least atom of difference whether they did or 
not ; the way in which Dr. Eggleston was put- 
ting it was funny, and Eurie never spoiled fun 
for the sake of sentiment. Presently she looked 
up at Marion for sympathy. That young lady’s 
eyes were in a blaze of indignation. What in 
the world was the matter with her? Surely 
she, with her hearty and unquestioning belief in 
nothing , could not have been disturbed by any 
jar! Let me tell you a word about Marion. 
Away back in her childhood there was a mem- 
ory of a little dingy, old-fashioned kitchen, one 
of the oldest and dreariest of its kind, where 
the chimney smoked and the winter wind 
crawled in through endless cracks and crannies ; 
where it was not always possible to get enough 
to eat during the hardest times ; but there was* 
a large, old-fashioned arm-chair, covered with 
frayed and faded calico, and in this chair sat 
often of a winter evening a clean-faced old man, 
with thin and many-patched clothes, with a 
worn and sickly face, with a few gray hairs 
straggling sadly about on his smooth crown; 
and that old man used often and often to drone 


Feasts . 


87 


out in a cracked voice and in a tune pitched too 
low by half an octavfe the very words which had 
just been repeated in Marion’s hearing. What 
of all that? Why, that little gloomy kitchen was 
Marion’s memory of home ; that old, tired man 
was her father, and he used to sing those words 
while his hand wandered tenderly through the 
curls of her brown head, and patted softly the 
white forehead over which they fell ; and all of 
love that there was in life, all that the word 
44 tenderness ” meant, all that was dear, or sweet 
or to be reverenced, was embodied in that one 
memory to Marion. Now you understand the 
flashing eyes. She did not believe it at all ; she 
believed, or thought she did, that the 44 broad ” 
and 44 narrow ” roads were all nonsense ; that go 
where you would, or do what you would, all the 
roads led to death ; and that was the end. But 
the father who had quavered through those lines 
so many times had staked his hopes forever on 
that belief, and the assurance of it had clothed 
his face in a grand smile as he lay dying — a 
smile that she liked to think of, that she did not 
like to hear ridiculed, and to her excited imagin- 
ation Dr. Eggleston seemed to be ridiculing the 
faith on which the hvmn was built. 


88 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

“ They are more thorough hypocrites than I 
supposed,” she said, in scorn, and hardly in un- 
dertone, in answer to Eurie’s inquiring look. 
“ I don’t believe the stuff myself, but I always 
supposed the ministers did. I gave some of 
them at least credit for sincerity, but it seems it 
is nothing but a fable to be laughed to scorn.” 

“ Why, Marion I ” Eurie said, and her look 
expressed surprise and dismay. “ He is not 
making fun of religion, you know ; he is simply 
referring to the inappropriateness of such hymns 
for children.” 

“ What is so glaringly inappropriate about it 
if they really believe the Bible? I’m sure it 
says there that there are two roads, one broad 
and the other narrow ; and that many people 
are on one and but few on the other. Why 
shouldn’t it be put into a hymn if it is desirable 
to impress it ? ” 

“ I’m sure I don’t know,” Eurie said, unac- 
customed to being put through a course of logic. 
“ Only, you know, I suppose he simply means 
that it is beyond their comprehensions.” 

“ They must have remarkably limited compre- 
hensions then if they are incapable of under- 


Feasts. 


89 


standing so simple a figure of speech, as that 
there are two ways to go, and one is harder and 
safer than the other. I understood it when it 
was sung to me — and 1 was a very little child 
— and believed it, too, until I saw the lives of 
people contradict it ; but if I believed it still I 
would not make public sport of it.” 

At this point Ruth leaned forward from the 
seat behind and whispered : 

“ Girls, do keep still ; you are drawing the at- 
tention of all the people around you and disturb- 
ing everybody.” 

After that they kept still ; but the good doc- 
tor had effectually sealed one heart to whatever 
that was tender and earnest he might have to 
say. She sat erect, with scornful eyes and glow- 
ing cheeks, and when the first flush of excite- 
ment passed off was simply harder and gayer 
than before. Who imagined such a result as 
that? Nobody, of course. But how perfectly 
foolish and illogical ! Couldn’t she see that Dr. 
Eggleston only meant to refer to the fact that 
literature, both of prose and poetry, had been 
improved by being brought to the level of child- 
ish minds, and to reprove that way of teaching 


90 Four Grirls at Chautauqua . 

religious truth, that leaves a somber, dismal im 
pression on youthful hearts? Apparently she 
could not, since she did not. As for being ab- 
surd and illogical, I did not say that she wasn’t. 
I am simply giving you facts as they occurred. 
I think myself that she was dishonoring the 
memory of her father ten thousand times more 
than any chance and unmeant word of the 
speakers could possibly have done. The only 
trouble was, that she was such an idiot she did 
not see it ; and she prided herself on her powers 
of reasoning, too I But the world is full of idi- 
ots. She sat like a stone during the rest of the 
brilliant lecture. Many things she heard because 
she could not help hearing ; many she admired, 
because it was in her to admire a brilliant and 
charming thing, and she could not help that, 
either ; but she could shut her heart to all ten- 
derness of feeling and all softening influences, 
and that she did with much satisfaction, deliber- 
ately steeling herself against the words of a man 
because he had quoted a chance line that hei 
father used to sing, while she lived every day of 
her life in defiance of the principles by which 
her father shaped his life and his death ! Verily, 
the ways of girls are beyond understanding. 


Feasts . 


91 


Eurie enjoyed it all. When Dr. Eggleston 
told of the men that, as soon as their children 
grew a little too restless, had business down 
town, she clapped her hands softly and whis- 
pered : 

u That is for all the world like father. Neddie 
and Puss were never in a whining fit in their 
lives that father didn’t at once think of a pa- 
tient he had neglected to visit that day, and 
rush off.” 

She laughed over the thought that women 
were shut in with little steam engines, and said : 

“ That’s a capital name for them ; we have 
three at home that are always just at the very 
point of explosion. I mean to write to mother 
and tell her I have found a new name for them.” 

When he suggested the blunt-end scissors, 
and the colored crayons with which they could 
make wonderful yellow dogs, with green tails 
and blue eyes, her delight became so great that 
she looked around to Ruth to help her enjoy it, 
and said : 

“ You see if I don’t invest in a ton of colored 
crayons the very first thing I do when I get 
home ; it is just capital I So strange I nevei 
thought of it before.” 


92 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

“ You did not think of it now,” Ruth said, in 
her quiet cooling way. “ Give the speaker 
credit for his own ideas, please. Half the world 
have to do the thinking for the other half al- 
ways.” 

“ That is the reason so much is left undone, 
then,” retorted Eurie, with unfailing good hu- 
mor, and turned back to the speaker in time to 
hear his description of the superintendent that 
was so long in finding the place to sing that the 
boys before him went around the world while he 
was giving the number. 

“ Slow people,” said she, going down the hill 
afterward. “ 1 never could endure them, and I 
shall have less patience with them in future than 
ever. Wasn’t he splendid? Ruth, you liked 
the part about Dickens, of course.” 

“ A valuable help the lecture will be to your 
after-life if all you have got is an added feeling 
of impatience toward slow people. Unfor- 
tunately for you they are in the world, and will 
be very likely to stay in it, and a very good sort 
of people they are, too.” 

It was Marion who said this, and her tone was 
dry and unsympathetic. 


Feasts. 


93 


Eurie turned to her curiously. 

“ You didn’t like him,” she said, “ did you ? 
I am so surprised ; I thought you would think 
him splendid. On your favorite hobby, too. I 
said to myself this will be just in Marion’s line. 
She has so much to say about teaching children 
by rote in a dull and uninteresting way. You 
couldn’t forgive him for reciting that horrid old 
hymn in such a funny way. Flossy, do you 
suppose you can ever hear that hymn read again 
without laughing? What was the matter, Mar- 
ion ? Who imagined you had any sentimental 
drawings toward Watts’ hymns ? ” 

“I didn’t even know it was Watts’ hymn,” 
Marion said, indifferently. “ But I hate to hear 
any one go back on his own belief. If he hon- 
estly believes in the sentiments of that verse, and 
they certainly are Bible sentiments, he shouldn’t 
make fun of it. But I’m sure it is of no conse- 
quence to me. lie may make fun of the whole 
Bible if he chooses, verse by verse, and preach a 
me J ting sermon from it the very next Sabbath; 
it will be all the same to me. Let us go in 
search of some dinner, and not talk any more 
about him.” 


94 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

“ But that isn’t fair. You are unjust, isn’t she, 
Ruth ? I say he didn’t make fun of religion, as 
Marion persists in saying that he did.” 

“Of course not,” Ruth said. “A minister 
would hardly be guilty of doing that. He was 
simply comparing the advanced methods of the 
present with the stupidity of the past.” 

And obstinate Marion said then he ought to 
get a new Bible, for the very same notions were 
in it that were when she was a child and learned 
verses. And that was all that this discussion 
amounted to. Nobody had appealed to Flossy. 
She had stood looking with an indifferent air 
around her, until Marion turned suddenly and 
said: 

“ What did the lecture say to you, Flossy ? 
Eurie seems very anxious to get out of it some- 
thing for our ‘special needs,’ as they say in 
church. What was yours ? ” 

Flossy hesitated like a timid child, flushed 
and then paled, and finally said, simply : 

“ I have been thinking ever since he spoke it 
of that one sentence, ‘ Rock-firm, God-trust, has 
died out of the world.’ I was wondering if it 
were tiue, and I was wishing that it wasn’t.” 


Feasts . 


96 


All the girls looked at each other in astonished 
silence ; such a strange thing for Flossy to say. 

“ What of it ? ” said Marion, presently. 
u What if it has? or, rather, what if it. were 
never in the world ? ” 

“ It wasn’t that side of it that I thought about. 
It was what if it were” 

“ And what then ? ” 

“ Why, then, I should like to see the person 
who had it, just to see how he would seem.” 

Marion laughed somewhat scornfully. 

“ Curiosity is at the bottom of your wise 
thought, is it? Well, my little mousie, I am 
amazingly afraid you are destined never to dis- 
cover how it will seem. So I wouldn’t puzzle 
my brains about it. It might be too much for 
them. Shall we go to dinner ? ” 

You should have seen our four young ladies 
taking their first meal at Chautauqua ! It was 
an experience not to be forgotten. They went 
to the “ hotel.” This was a long board building, 
improvised for the occasion, and filled with as 
many comforts as the necessities of the occasion 
could furnish. To Miss Erskine the word 
M hotel ” had only one sort of association. She 


96 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

had been a traveler in her own country only* 
and it had been her fortune to be intimate onl^ 
with the hotels in large cities, and only with 
those where people go whose purses are full to 
overflowing. So she had come to associate with 
the name all that was elegant or refined or lux- 
urious. 

When the President of the grounds inquired 
whether they would have tickets for the hotel or 
one of the boarding-houses, Miss Erskine had 
answered without hesitation : 

“ For the hotel, of course. I never have any- 
thing to do with boarding-houses. They are al- 
most certain to be second rate.” 

Said President kept his own counsel, think- 
ing, I fancy, that here was a girl who needed 
some lessons in the practical things of this life, 
and Chautauqua hotels were good places in 
which to take lessons. 

Imagine now, if you can, the look of this 
lady’s face, as they made their way with much 
difficulty down the long room, and looked about 
them on either side for seats. 

“ A hotel, indeed I ” she said, in utter con- 
tempt and disgust, as one of the attendants sig- 


Feasts. 


97 


naled them and politely drew back the long 
board seat that did duty in the place of chairs, 
and answered for five, or, if you were good na- 
tured and crowded, for six people. He was just 
as polite in his attentions as if the unplaned seat 
had been a carved chair of graceful shape and 
pattern. One would suppose that Ruth might 
have taken a hint from his example. But the 
truth is, she belonged to that class of people who 
are so accustomed to polite attentions that it is 
only their absence which calls forth remark. 

“ The idea of naming this horrid, dirty old lum- 
ber-room a hotel ! ” and she carefully and dis- 
dainfully spread her waterproof cloak on the 
seat before she took it. 

Eurie’s merry laugh rang out until others 
looked and smiled in sympathy with her fun, 
whatever it was. 

“ What in the world did you expect, Ruthie ? 
I declare, you are too comical ! I verily believe 
you expected Brussels carpets, and mirrors in 
which you could admire yourself all the while 
you were eating.” 

“ I expected a hotel” Ruth said, in no wise 
diminishing her lofty tone. “ That is what is 


yS Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

advertised, and people naturally do not look for 
so much deception in a religious gathering, 
This is nothing in the world hut a shanty.” 

Chautauqua was doing one thing for this 
young lady which surprised and annoyed her. 
It was helping her to get acquainted with her- 
self. Up to this time she had looked upon her- 
self as a person of smooth and even tempera- 
ment, not by any means easily ruffled or turned 
from her quiet poise. She had prided herself on 
her composed, gracefully dignified way of receiv- 
ing things. She never hurried, she never was 
breathless and flushed, and apologetic over some- 
thing that she ought or ought not to have done, 
which was a chronic state with Eurie. She never 
was in a thorough and undisguised rage, as Mar- 
ion was quite likely to be. She was, in her own 
estimation, a model of propriety. All this until 
she came to Chautauqua. Now, great was her 
surprise to discover in herself a disposition to be 
utterly disgusted with things that to Marion 
were of so little consequences as to be unno- 
ticed, and that to Eurie were positive sources 
of fun. 

Doubtless you understand her better than she 


Feasts. 


99 


did herself. The truth is, it is a comparatively 
easy matter to be gracious and courteous and 
unruffled when everything about you is moving 
exactly according to your mind, and when you 
can think of nothing earthly to be annoyed 
about. There are some natures that are deceiv- 
ing their own hearts in just such an atmosphere 
• as this. They are not the lowest type of nature 
by any means. The small, petty trials that 
come to every life are beneath them. If it rains 
when they want to walk they can go in a hand- 
some carriage, and keep their tempers. If their 
elegant new robes prove to be badly made they 
can have them remodeled and made more ele- 
gant with a superior composure. In just so far 
are they above the class who can endure noth- 
ing in the shape of annoyances or disappoint- 
ment, however small. The fact is, however, 
that there are petty annoyance, not coming in 
their line of life, that would be altogether too 
much for them. But of this they remain in 
graceful ignorance until some Chautauqua brings 
the sleeping shadows to the surface. 


L.of C. 



CHAPTER VII. 


TABLE TALK. 



HAT is your private explanation of the 


word ‘hotel’?” Marion asked. She 
was in an argumentative mood, and it made al- 
most no difference to her which side of the ques- 
tion she argued. “ Webster says it is a place to 
entertain strangers, but you seem to attach some 
special importance to the term.” 

“ Is that all that Webster says?” 

The questioner was not Ruth, but a man who 
sat just opposite to them at the table, and while 
he waited for his order to be filled watched with 
amused eyes the four girls who were evidently 
in a new element. He was not a young man, and 
his gray hairs would have arrested the pertnesa 


(100) 


Table Talk . 


101 


of the reply on Marion’s tongue at any other 
time than this, but you remember that she was 
not in a good mood. She answered promptly ; 

u Yes, sir, he says ever so many things. In 
fact, he is the most voluminous author I ever 
read.” 

The gentleman laughed. The pertness seemed 
to amuse him. 

44 Didn’t I limit my question ? ” he said, pleas- 
antly. 44 He is voluminous, and what a sensible 
book he has written. I wish all authors had 
given us so much information. But I meant, is 
that all he says about hotels ? Doesn’t he jus- 
tify your friend just a little bit in her expecta- 
tions ? ” 

“ I’m sure I don’t know,” Marion said, amused 
in turn at the good-natured interest which the 
elderly gentleman took in the question. “ He 
has said so much that I haven’t had time to di- 
gest it all. If you have, won’t you please en- 
lighten me as to his wisdom on this subject?” 

“ 4 Especially one of some style or pretensions,’ M 
quoted the old gentleman, 44 so Webster adds. 
You see I am interested in the subject,” and he 
laughed pleasantly. 44 1 have been looking it up, 


102 


Four Girls at Chautauqua. 


which must be my apology for addressing you 
young ladies, if so old a man as I must apologize 
for being interested in girls. The fact is, I had 
occasion to talk with a young man yesterday who 
took the people to task most roundly for that 
very name, on the ground that they had no right 
to it — that it was a misnomer. I have been 
struck with the thought that nothing is trivial, 
not even the name that happens to be chosen for 
a house where one waits for his dinner,” with a 
strong emphasis on the word “ wait,” which Eu- 
rie understood and laughed over. 

“ Except the remarks that people make about 
such things,” Marion said, answering the first 
part of the sentence and bestowing a wicked 
glance on Ruth. “ They are trivial enough. Did 
you agree with the young gentleman ? ” 

“ No. I thought it all over and consulted 
Webster, as I said, and came to the conclusion 
that in view of this being a more pretentious 
house than either of the others they had a right 
to the word. Webster doesn’t say what degree 
of pretension is necessary, you know.” 

The lifting of Ruth’s eyebrows at this point 
was so expressive that all the party laughed 


Table Talk . 


108 


But the old gentleman grew grave again in a 
moment, as he said : 

“ But the thought that impressed me most was 
what a very perfect system of faith the religion 
of Jesus Christ is ; how completely it commends 
itself to the human heart, since the very slight- 
est departure from what is regarded as strictly 
true and right, when it is done by a Christian 
(society or individual), is noticed and com- 
mented upon by lookers-on ; they seem to know 
of a certainty that it is not according to the 
Spirit of Christ.” 

This last sentence struck Marion dumb. How 
fond she was of caviling at Christian lives ! 
Was she really thus giving all the time an un- 
conscious tribute to the truth and purity of the 
Christian faith ? 

It was a merry dinner, after all, eaten with 
steel forks and without napkins, and with plated 
spoons, if you were so fortunate as to secure 
one. The rush of people was very great, and, 
with their inconvenient accommodations, the 
process of serving was slow. 

Marion, her eyes being opened, went to study- 
ing the people about her. She found that court- 


1.04 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

eous good-humor was the rule, and selfishness 
and ungraciousness the exception. Inconven- 
iences were put up with and merrily laughed 
over by people who, from their dress and man- 
ners, could be accustomed to only the best. 

Marion took mental notes. 

“ They do not act in the least like the mass of 
people who stop at railroad eating-houses for 
their dinner ; they are patient and courteous 
under difficulties ; they did not come here for 
the purpose of being entertained ; if they did 
the accommodations wouldn’t satisfy.” 

There was another little thing that interested 
Marion. As the tables kept filling, and those 
who had been served made room for those who 
had not, she found herself watching curiously 
what proportion of the guests observed that 
instant of silent thanks with covered eyes. It 
was so brief, so slight a thing, I venture that 
scarcely a person there noticed it, much less 
imagined that there was a pair of keen gray eyes 
over in the corner looking and calculating con- 
cerning them. 

“ What if they all had to wear badges,” she 
said to herself, “ badges that read 4 1 am a Chri* 


Table Talk. 


lOf 

fcian,’ I wonder how many of them it would in- 
fluence to different words than they are speak- 
ing, or to different acts? I wonder if they do 
all wear them ? T wonder if the distinction is 
really marked, so one looking on could detect 
the difference, though all of them are strangers ? 
1 mean to watch during these two weeks. 4 The 
proper study of mankind is man.’ Very well, 
Brother Pope, a convenient place for the study 
of man is Chautauqua. I’ll take it up. Who 
knows but I may learn a new branch to teach 
the graded infants in Ward No. 4.” 

Ruth did not recover her equanimity. She 
was rasped on every side. Those two-tined 
steel forks were a positive sting to her. She 
shuddered as the steel touched her lips. She 
had no spoon at all, and she looked on in utter 
disgust while Eurie merrily stirred her tea with 
her fork. When the waiter came at last, with 
hearty apologies for keeping them waiting for 
their spoons, and the old gentleman said cor- 
dially, 44 All in good time. We shall not starve 
even if we get no spoons,” she curled her lip 
disdainfully, and murmured that she had always 
been accustomed to the conveniences of life, and 
found it somewhat difficult to do without them. 


L06 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

When one is in the mood for grumbling there 
is no easier thing in the world than to find food 
for that spirit, and Ruth continued her pastime, 
waxing louder and more decided after the genial 
old man had left their neighborhood. 

“ What is the use in fault-finding ? ” Eurie 
said at last, half petulantly. She was growing 
very tired of this exhibition. “ What did you 
expect ? They are doing as well as they can, 
without any doubt. Just imagine what it must 
be to get conveniences together for this vast 
crowd. They did not expect anything like such 
a large attendance at first ; I heard them say so * 
and that makes it harder to wait upon them. 
But of course they are doing just as well as they 
can, and we fare as well as any of them. ,, 

“ Don’t you be so foolish as to believe that,” 
Ruth said, with a curling lip. “If you could 
see behind the scenes you would soon discover 
something very different. That is why it is so 
provoking to me. Let people who cannot afford 
to pay any better take such as they can get. 
But what right had they to suppose that we had 
not the money to pay for what we wish ? I'm 
sure I'm not a pauper I You will find that there 


Table Talk. 


107 


is a place where the select few can get what they 
want, and have it served in a respectable man- 
ner, and I say I don’t like it ; I have been acous- 
tomed to the decencies of life.” 

Just behind them the talk was going on un- 
ceasingly, and one voice, at this point, rising 
higher than the others, caught the attention of 
our girls. Eurie turned suddenly and tried to 
catch a glimpse of the speaker. Something in 
the voice sounded natural. A sudden move- 
ment on the part of the gentleman between 
them and she caught a glimpse of the face. She 
turned back eagerly. 

“ Girls, that is Mrs. Schuyler Germain ! ” 

“ Where ? ” Ruth asked, with sudden interest 
in her voice. 

“ Over at that table, in a water-proof cloak 
and black straw hat, and eating boiled potatoes 
with a steel fork. What about being behind the 
scenes now, Ruthie ? ” 

To fully appreciate this you must understand 
that even among the Erskines to get as high as 
Mrs. Schulyer Germain was to get as high as 
the aristocracy of this world reached ; not that 
she lived in any grander style than the Erskines, 


108 Four Girls at Chautauqua 

or showed that she had more mone}^ but every 
one knew that her bank accounts were very 
heavy, and, besides, she was the daughter of Gen. 
Wadsworth Hillyer, of Washington, and the 
great-granddaughter, by direct descent, of one of 
England’s noblemen. She was traveled and 
cultivated, and all but titled through her young- 
est daughter. 

Could American ambition reach higher ? And 
there she sat, at a table made of pine boards, 
eating boiled potatoes with a two-tined steel 
fork ! Could English nobility sink lower ! Ruth 
looked over at her in quiet surprise for a mo- 
ment, and then gave her head its haughty toss 
as she met Eurie’s mischievous eyes, and said : 

‘ k It is not an aristocracy of position here, 
then. The leaders keep all their nice things and 
places for themselves. That is smaller than I 
supposed them to be.” 

At this particular moment there was an up- 
rising from the table just behind them. Half a 
dozen gentlemen leaving their empty plates, and 
in full tide of talk, making their way down the 
hall. The girls looked and nudged each other 
as they recognized them. The younger of tb« 


Table Talk . 


109 


two foremost had a face that can not easily be 
mistaken, and Eurie, having seen it once, did 
not need Marion’s low-toned, “ That is Mr. Vin- 
cent.” And Ruth herself, thrown off her guard, 
recognized and exclaimed over Dr. Hodge. 

This climax was too much for Eurie. She 
threw down her fork to clap her hands in softly 
glee. 

“ Oh, Ruthie, Ruthie ! How has your dismal 
castle of favoritism faded ! Yonder is the Queen 
of American society eating pie at this very in- 
stant with the very fork which did duty on her 
potato, and here goes the King of the feast, wip- 
ing his lips on his own handkerchief instead of a 
damask napkin.” 

It was at this moment, when Ruth’s follies 
and ill humors were rising to an almost unbear 
able height, that her higher nature asserted it- 
self, and shone forth in a rich, full laugh. Then, 
in much glee and good feeling, they followed the 
crowd down the hill to the auditorium. 

For the benefit of such poor benighted beings 
as have never seen Chautauqua, let me explain 
that the auditorium was the great temple where 
the congregation assembled for united service. 


110 Four Girls at Chautauqau . 

Such a grand temple as it was ! The pillars 
thereof were great solemn trees, with theii 
green leaves arching overhead in festoons of 
beauty. I don’t know how many seats there 
were, nor how many could be accommodated at 
the auditorium. Eurie set out to walk up and 
down the long aisles one day and count the 
seats, but she found that which so arrested her 
attention before she was half-way down the cen- 
tral aisle that she forgot all about it, and there 
was never any time afterward for that work. I 
mean to tell you about that day when I get to 
it. The grand stand was down here in front of 
all these seats, spacious and convenient, the pil- 
lars thereof festooned with flags from many 
nations. The large piano occupied a central 
point ; the speaker’s desk at its feet, in the cen- 
ter of the stand ; the reporters’ tables and chairs 
just below. 

“ I ought to have one of those chairs,” Marion 
said, as they passed the convenient little space 
railed off from the rest of the audience. “ Just 
as if I were not a real reporter because I write 
in plain good English, instead of racing over the 
paper and making queer little tracks that only 


Table Talk. 


Ill 


one person in five thousand can read. If I were 
not the most modest and retiring of mortals I 
would go boldly up and claim a seat.” 

“ What is to be next ? ” Ruth asked. Are 
we supposed to be devoted to all these meet- 
ings? I thought we were only going to one 
now and then. We won’t be alive in two 
weeks from now if we pin ourselves down here/’ 

“In the way that we have been doing,” 
chimed in Eurie. “ Just think here we have 
been to every single meeting they have had yet, 
except the one last night and one this morning.” 

“We are going to skip every one that we pos- 
sibly can,” said Marion. “ But the one that is 
to come just now is decidedly the one that we 
can’t. The speaker is Dr. Calkins, of Buffalo. 
I heard him four years ago, and it is one of the 
few sermons that I remember to this day. 1 
always said if I ever had another chance 1 
should certainly hear him again. I like his sub- 
ject this afternoon, too. It is appropriate to my 
condition.” 

“ What is the subject ? ” Flossy asked, with a 
sudden glow of interest. 

“It is what a Christian can learn from a 


112 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

heathen. I’m the heathen, and I presume Dr 
Calkins is the Christian. So he is to see what 
he can learn from me, I take it, and naturally I 
am anxious to know. Flossy isn’t interested in 
that; I can see it from her face. She knows 
she isn’t a heathen — she is a good proper little 
Christian. But it is your duty, my dear, to find 
what you can learn from me.” 

“ What can he possibly make of such a sub- 
ject as that?” Ruth asked, curiously. “ I don’t 
believe I want to hear him. Is he so very tal- 
ented, Marion ? ” 

“ I don’t know. Haven’t the least idea 
whether he is what you call talented or not. 
He says things exactly as though he knew they 
were so, and for the time being he makes you 
feel as though you were a perfect simpleton for 
not knowing it, too.” 

“ And you like to be made to feel like a ‘ per- 
fect simpleton?’ Is that the reason you re- 
solved to hear him again ? ” 

“ I like to meet a man once in a while wno 
knows how to do it, and for the matter of that I 
wouldn’t mind being made to feel the truth of 
the things that he says, if one could only stay 


Table Talk . 


118 


made. It isn’t the fault of the preaching that it 
all feels like a pretty story and nothing else ; it 
is the fault of the wretched practicing that the 
sheep go home and do. It makes one feel like 
being an out-and-out goat, and done with it, 
instead of being such a perfect idiot of a sheep.” 

At this point the talk suddenly ceased, for the 
leaders began to assemble, and the service com- 
menced. Ruth and Marion exchanged comic 
glances when they discovered the “ heathen ” of 
the afternoon to be Socrates. And Marion pre- 
sently whispered that she was evidently to play 
the character of the old fellow’s wife, and Eurie 
whispered to them both : 

“Now I want to know if that horrid Zantippe 
was Socrates’ wife ! Upon my word I never 
knew it before. She wasn’t to blame, after all, 
for being such a wretch.” 

“What do you mean?” Marion whispered 
back, with scornful eyes. “Socrates was the 
grandest old man that ever lived.” 

“Pooh! He wasn’t. He didn’t know any 
more than little mites of Sunday-school children 
do nowdays. I never could understand why his 
philosophy was so remarkable, only that he lived 


114 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

in a heathen country and got ahead of alJ che 
rest, but if he were living now he would oe a 
pigmy.” 

“ I wish he were,” Marion said, with her eyes 
still flashing. u I would like to see such a life 
as he lived.” 

This girl was a hero worshiper. Her cheeks 
could burn and her eyes glow over the grand 
stories of old heathen characters, and she could 
melt to tears over their trials and wrongs. And 
yet she passed by in haughty silence the sub- 
lime life that of all others is the only perfect one 
on record, and she had no tears to shed over the 
shameful and pitiful story of the cross. What 
a strange girl she was ! I wonder if it be possi- 
ble that there are any others like her ? 



f 



CHAPTER VIII. 

“AT EVENING TIME IT SHALL BE BRIGHT.’ ’ 



|E ANTI ME Flossy Shipley came to no 
place where her heart could rest. She 
went through that first day at Chautauqua in a 
sort of maze, hearing and yet not hearing, and 
longing in her very soul for something that she 
did not hear — that is, she did not hear it dis- 
tinctly and fairly stated, so that she could grasp 
it and act upon it ; and yet it was shadowed all 
around her, and hinted at in every word that 
was uttered, so that it was impc^oible to forget 
that there was a great something in which the 
most of these people were eagerly interested, and 
which was sealed to her. 


( 115 ) 


116 Four Gu Is at Chautauqua, 

She felt it dimly all the while that Dr. Eg- 
gleston was speaking ; she felt it sensibly when 
they sang ; she felt it in the chance words that 
caught her ear on every side as the meeting 
closed — bright, fresh words of greeting, of glad- 
ness, of satisfaction, but every one of them con- 
taining a ring that she could hear but not copy. 
What did it mean ? And, above all, why did 
she care what it meant, when she had been happ}' 
all her life before without knowing or thinking 
anything about it ? 

As they went down the hill to dinner, she 
loitered somewhat behind the others, thinking 
while they talked. As the throng pressed down 
around them there came one whose face she 
instantly recognized ; it belonged to the young 
man who had spoken to her on the boat the 
evening before. The face recalled the earnest 
words that he had spoken, and the tone of rest- 
ful satisfaction in which they were spoken. His 
face wore the same look now — interested, alert, 
but at rest . She coveted rest. It was clear that 
he also recognized her, and something in her 
wistful eyes recalled the words she had spoken. 

“ Have you found the Father's presence yet? 


“At Evening Time it Shall he Bright .” 117 

he asked, with a reverent tone to his voice when 
he said “the Father,” and yet with such evident 
trust and love that the tears started to her eyes. 

She answered quickly : 

“No, I haven’t. I cannot feel that he is my 
Father.” 

They went down the steps just then, and the 
crowd rushed in between them, so that neither 
knew what had become of the other ; only that 
chance meeting ; he might never see her again. 
Chautauqua was peculiarly a place where peo- 
ple met for a moment, then lost each other, per- 
haps for all the rest of the time. 

“ I may never see her again,” Evan Roberts 
thought, “ but I am glad that I said a word to 
her. I hope in my soul that she will let Him 
find her.” 

If Flossy could have heard this unspoken sen- 
tence she would have marveled. “ Let Him find 
her ! ” Why, she was dimly conscious that she 
was seeking for Him, but no such thought had 
presented itself as that God was really seeking 
after her. 

She went on, still falling behind, and trying to 
hide the rush of feeling that the simple question 


118 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

had called forth. She was very quiet at th* 
dinner table ; she was oblivious to steel forks er 
the want of spoons ; these things that had hith- 
erto filled her life and looked of importance to 
her had strangely dwindled ; she was miserably 
disappointed; she had looked forward to Chau- 
tauqua as a place where she could have such a 
“ nice ” time. That word “ nice ” was a favorite 
with her, and surely no one could be having a 
more wretched time than this ; and it was not 
the rain, either, over which she had been miser- 
able all day yesterday, nor her cashmere dress ; 
she didn’t care in the least now whether it cleared 
or not ; and as to her dress, she had torn her 
silk twice, and it was sadly drabbled, but she 
did not even care for that ; she wanted — what ? 
Alas for the daughter of nominally Christian 
parents, living among all the privileges of a cul- 
tured Christian society, she did not know what she 
wanted . 

Dr. Calkins had one eager listener. If he 
could have picked out her earnest, wistful eyes 
among that crowd of upturned faces he would 
have let old Socrates go, and given himself heart 
and soul to the leading of this groping soul into 


“At Evening Time it Shall be Bright.” 110 

(he light. As it was he hovered around it. 
touching the subject here and there, thrilling 
her with the possibilities stretching out before 
her ; but he was thinking of and talking all the 
while to those who had reached after and secured 
this “ something ” that to her was still a shadow. 
Now and then the speaker brought the quick 
tears to her eyes as he referred to those who had 
followed the teaching of his lips with sympa- 
thetic faces and answered the appeal to theii 
hearts with tears ; but her tears were different 
from those — they were the tears of a sick soul, 
longing for light and help. 

The entire party ignored the evening meeting. 
Marion declared that her brain whirled now, sc 
great had been the mental strain ; Ruth was 
loftily indifferent to any plan that could be got- 
ten up, and Eurie’s wits were ripe for mischief ; 
Flossy’s opinion, of course, was not asked, nobody 
deeming it possible that she could have the 
slightest desire to go to meeting. In fact, Eurie 
put their desertion on the ground that Flossy 
had been exhausted by the mental effort of the 
day, and needed to be cheered and petted. She 
on her part was silent and wearily indifferent ; 


120 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

slie did not know what to do with her heavy 
heart, and felt that she might as soon walk down 
by the lake shore as do anything else ; so down 
to the shore they went, and gave themselves up 
to the full enjoyment of the novel scene — an 
evening in the woods, great, glowing lights on 
every side, great companies of people passing to 
and fro, boats touching at the wharves and send- 
ing up group after group to the central attrac- 
tion, the grand stand ; singing, music by thou- 
sands of voices ringing down to them as they 
loitered under the trees on the rustic seats. 

“ I declare, it must be nice in heaven for a lit- 
tle while.” 

It was Eurie who made this somewhat startling 
discovery and announcement after a lull had 
fallen upon their mirth. 

“ Have you been there to see ? ” illogically 
asked Marion, as she threw a tiny stone into 
the water and watched the waves quiver and 
ripple. 

Eurie laughed. 

“ Not quite, but this must be a little piece of 
it — this music, I mean. I am almost tempted 
to make an effort after the real thing. How ex- 


“ At Evening Time it Shall be Bright” 121 

quisitely those voices sound! I’m very certain 
I should enjoy the music, whether I should be 
able to get along with the rest of the programme 
or not. What on earth do you suppose they do 
there all the time, anyway ? ” 

“ Where ? ” 

44 Why, in heaven, of course ; that is what I 
was talking about. I believe you are half 
asleep, Flossy Shipley ; you mustn’t go to sleep 
out here ; it isn’t quite heaven yet, and you will 
take cold. Honestly, girls, isn’t it a sort of won- 
derment to you how the people up there can em- 
ploy their time ? In spite of me I cannot help 
feeling that it must be rather stupid ; think of 
never being able to lie down and take a nap ! ” 

44 Or read a novel,” added Marion. 44 Isn’t that 
your favorite employment when you are awake, 
Eurie ? I’m sure I don’t know much about the 
occupations of the place ; I’m not posted ; there 
is nothing about it laid down in our geography ; 
and, in fact, the people who seem to be expect- 
ing to spend their lives there are unaccountably 
mum about it. I don’t at this moment remember 
hearing any one ever express a downright opin- 
ion. and I have always thought it rather queer 


122 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

I asked Nellie Wkeden about it one day wl*«n 
she was going on about her expected tour in 
Europe. She had bored me to death, making 
me produce all my geographic and historic lore 
for her benefit ; and suddenly I thought of an 
expedient for giving myself a little peace and a 
chance to talk about something else. ‘ Come, 
Nellie,’ I said, ‘ one good turn deserves another. 
I have told you everything I can think of that 
can possibly be of interest to you about Europe ; 
now give me some information about the other 
place where you are going. You must have 
laid up a large stock of information in all these 
years.’ ” 

“ What on earth did she say ? ” Ruth asked, 
curiously, while Eurie was in great glee over the 
story. 

“ She was as puzzled as if I had spoken to her 
in Greek. ‘ What in the world can you be talk* 
ing about ? ’ she said. 4 I’m not going anywhere 
else that I know of. My head has been full of 
Europe for the last year, and I haven’t talked 
nor thought about any other journey.’ Well, I 
enlightened her as to her expectations, and what 
do you think she said? You wouldn’t be able 


“At Evening Time it Shall be Bright .” 123 

to guess, so I’ll tell you. She said I was irrev- 
erent, and that no one who respected religion 
would ask such questions as that, and she actu- 
ally went off in a huff over my wickedness. So, 
naturally, I have been chary of trying to get 
Information on such 4 reverent ’ subjects ever 
since.” 

Whereupon all these silly young ladies 
laughed long and heartily over this silly talk. 
Flossy laughed with the rest, partly from the 
force of habit and partly because this recital 
struck her as very foolish. Every one of them 
saw its inconsistent side as plainly as though 
they had been Christians for years ; more pi ainly, 
perhaps, for it is very strange what blinded eyes 
we can get under certain systems of living the 
religious faith. 

Presently the society of these young ladies 
palled upon themselves, and they agreed one with 
another that they had been very silly not to go 
to meeting, and that another evening they would 
at least discover what was being said before they 
lost the opportunity for getting seats. 

“ Stupid set ! ” said Eurie “ who imagined that 
the crowd would do such a silly thing as to rush 


124 Four G-irls at Chautauqua . 

to that meeting, as if there were nothing else tc 
do but to go flying off for a seat the moment the 
Dell rings ? I thought there would be crowds 
out here, and we would make some pleasant 
acquaintances, and perhaps get a chance to take 
a boat ride.” 

And so, in some disgust, they voted to bring 
the first day at Chautauqua to a sudden close and 
try tent life. 

Silence and darkness reigned in the tenl 
where our girls had disposed of themselves. It 
was two hours since they had come in. It took 
more than an hour, and much talking and more 
laughter, not to mention considerable grumbling 
on Ruth’s part, before everything was arranged 
to their satisfaction — or, as Ruth expressed it, 
“ to their endurance ” for the night. 

Three of the girls were sleeping quietly, their 
fun and their discontents alike forgotten, but 
Flossy tossed wearily on her bed, turned hei 
pillow and turned it back again, and sought in 
vain for a quiet spot. With the silence and the 
darkness her unrest had come upon her again 
with tenfold force. She felt no nearer a solu- 
tion of her trouble than she had in the morning ; 


At Evening Time it Shall he Bright .” 125 

in fact, the pain had deepened all day, and the 
only definite feeling she had about it now was 
that she could not live so ; that something must 
be done ; that she must get back to her home 
and her old life, where she might hope to forget 
it all and be at peace again. 

Into the quiet of the night came a firm, manly 
step, and the movement of chairs right by her 
side, so at least it seemed to her. All unused to 
tent life as she was, a good deal startled she 
raised herself on one elbow and looked about her 
in a frightened way before she realized that the 
sounds came from the tent next to theirs. Be- 
fore her thoughts were fairly composed they were 
startled anew ; this time with the voice of 
prayer. 

Very distinct the words were on this still 
night air ; every sentence as clear as though it 
had really been spoken in the same tent. Now, 
there wassomething peculiarin the voice ; clearly 
cut and rounded the words were, like that of a 
man very decided, very positive in his views, and 
very earnest in his life. There was also a mod- 
ulation to the syllables that Flossy could not 
describe, but that she felt. And she knew that 


126 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

she had heard that voice twice before, once on 
the boat the evening before and once as they 
jostled together in the crowd on their way to 
dinner. 

She felt sorry to be unwittingly a listener to 
a prayer that the maker evidently thought was 
being heard only by his Savior. But she could 
not shut out the low aud yet wonderfully dis- 
tinct sentences, and presently she ceased to wish 
to, for it became certain that he was praying for 
her. He made it very plain. He called her 
“ that young girl who said to-day that she could 
not think of thee as her Father ; who seems to 
want to be led by the hand to thee.” 

Did you ever hear yourself prayed for by an 
earnest, reverent, pleading voice ? Then per- 
haps you know something of Flossy’s feelings as 
she lay there in the darkness. She had never 
heard any one pray for her before. So destitute 
was she of real friends that she doubted much 
whether there were one person living who had 
ever before earnestly asked God to make her his 
child. 

That was what this prayer was asking. She 
lifted the white sleeve of her gown, and wiped 


u At Evening Time it Shall be Bright .” 127 

away tear after tear as the pleading voice went 
on. Very still she was. It seemed to her that 
she must not lose a syllable of the prayer, for 
here at last was the help she had been seeking, 
blindly, and without knowing that she sought, 
all this long, heavy day. Help? Yes, plain, 
clear, simple help. How small a thing it seemed 
to do ! “ Show her her need of thee, blessed 

Jesus,” thus the prayer ran. And oh! hadn't 
he showed her that ? It flashed over her troub- 
led brain then and there : “ It is Jesus that I 
need. It is he who can help me. I believe he 
can. I believe he is the only one who can.” 
This was her confession of faith. “ Then lead 
her to ask the help of thee that she needs. Just 
to come to thee as the little child would go to 
her mother, and say, 4 Jesus, take me ; make me 
thy child.’ ” Only that? Was it such a little, 
little thing to do ? How wonderful ! 

The praying ceased, and the young man who 
had remembered the stranger to whom God had 
given him a chance to speak during the day, all 
unconscious that other ear than God’s had heard 
his words of prayer, laid himself down to quiet 
sleep. Flossy lay very still. The rain had 


128 Four Grirls at Chautauqua. 

ceased during the afternoon, and now some sol* 
emn stars were peeping in through the chinks in 
the tent and the earth was moon-lighted. She 
raised herself on one elbow and looked around 
on her companions. How soundly asleep they 
were ! 

Another few minutes of stillness and irresolu- 
tion. Then a white-robed figure slipped softly 
and quietly to the floor and on her knees, and a 
low-whispered voice repeated again and again 
these words : 

“ Jesus, take me ; make me thy child.” 

It wasn’t very long afterward that she la) 
quietly down on her pillow, and earth went on 
exactly as if nothing at all had happened — knew 
nothing at all about it — even the sleeper by her 
side was totally ignorant of the wonderful tab- 
leau that had been acted all about her that eve- 
ning. But if Eurie Mitchell could have had one 
little peep into heaven just then what would her 
entranced soul have thought of the music and the 
enjoyment there ? For what must it be like 
when there is “joy in the presence of the angel? 
in heaven ” ? 


CHAPTER IX. 



FLEEING. 

| HE next morning every one of them ran 
away from the meeting. The way of it 
was this : as they came up from breakfast and 
stood at the tent-door discussing the question 
whether they would go to the early meeting, 
Mrs. Duane Smithe passed, glanced up at them 
carelessly, then looked back curiousty, and at 
last turned and came back to them. 

“ I beg pardon,” she said, “ but isn’t this Miss 
Erskine? It surely is! I thought I recognized 
your face, but couldn’t be sure in these strange 
surroundings. And you have a party with you ? 
How delightful ! We were just wishing for 
more ladies. I really don’t think it is going to 
rain much to-day, and we have a lovely prospect 

in view. You must certainly join us.” 

( 129 ) 


L30 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

Then followed introductions and explanations, 
Mrs. Duane Smitlie was a Saratoga acquaintance 
of Ruth Erskine, and was en route for James- 
town for the day. 

“Where is Jamestown?” queried Eurie, who 
was a very useful member of society, in that she 
never pretended knowledge that she did not 
possess, so that you had only to keep still and 
listen to the answers that were made to her 
questions in order to know a good deal. 

“ It is at the head of this lovely little lake, or 
at the foot, I’m sure I don’t know which way to 
call it, and it is nothing of consequence, of 
course, but the ride thither is said to be charm- 
ing, and we are going to take a lunch, and pic- 
nic in a private way, just for the fun of getting 
together, you know, in a more social manner 
than one can accomplish in this wilderness of 
people. Isn’t it a queer place, Miss Erskine? 
I am dying to know how you happened to come 
here.” 

Ruth arched her eyebrows. 

“ I confess it is almost as strange as what 
brought you here,” she said, smiling. 

“ I can answer that in an instant. I have a 


Fleeing. 


131 


ridiculous nephew here, who thought that a 
week of meetings from morning to 'night would 
be just a trifle short of paradise, so what did he 
do but smuggle us all off this way. I shall find 
it a bore, of course, and the only way to get 
through with it is to have little pleasure excur- 
sions like the one we propose to-day.” 

Now you know as much about Mrs. Duane 
Smithe as though I should write about her for a 
week. It is strange how little we have to say 
before we have explained to people not only our 
intellectual but our moral status. Our girls, you 
will remember, had as little regard for the meet- 
ings as girls could have, and they had by this 
time begun to feel themselves in a strange at- 
mosphere, without acquaintances or gentlemanly 
attentions, so it took almost no persuasion at all 
to induce them to join Mrs. Smithe’s party, com- 
posed of two young ladies and four young gen- 
tlemen. It would be difficult to explain to you 
what a disappointment the decision to spend the 
day in frolic, instead of going to the meetings, 
was to Flossy. All the morning her heart had 
been in a great flutter of happiness over the 
beautiful day that stretched out before her. To 


132 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

meet those earnest, eager people again, to hear 
those hymns, to hear the voice of prayer all 
about her, to hear the constant allusions that 
were so strange and so saddening to her yester- 
day, and that now she understood, how blessed 
it would be ! She had gone about the bewil- 
derments of her toilet in a tent with a serenely 
happy face, and almost unawares had hummed 
the refrain of a tune that had already shown it- 
self a favorite at Chautauqua. 

“Flossy is like herself this morning,” Eurie 
said, as she heard the happy little song. “ I 
think she has recovered from her home-sick- 
ness.” 

Tents are not convenient places in which to 
make private remarks. Flossy overheard this 
one and smiled to herself. Yes, she had gotten 
over her home-sickness — she had found home. 
She gave a little exclamation of dismay as she 
heard the plannings for the da}^, and said : 

“ But, Ruth, what about the meetings ? ” 

“ W ell,” Ruth had said, with her most pro- 
vokingly nonchalant air, “ I haven’t made any 
inquiry, but I presume they will continue them 
all day just the same as if we were here. ] 


Fleeing . 138 

don’t think they will change the programme on 
our account.” 

And Eurie had added, mischievously : 

“Flossy is afraid it is not the aristocratic 
thing to do, not to stay to all the meetings.” 

“ Oh, as to that,” Mrs. Smithe had said (she 
was one of those interesting people who always 
take remarks seriously), “ I assure you it is 
what the first people on the ground are doing. 
Of course none of them would be so absurd as 
to think of attending meetings all the time. 
The brain wouldn’t endure such a strain.” 

“ Of course not,” Marion had answered with 
gravity. “My brain is already very tired. I 
think yours must be exhausted.” 

Flossy meditated a daring resolution to stay 
behind and take her “ rest ” in the way she cov- 
eted ; but the impossibility of explaining what 
would appear to the others as merely an ill- 
natured freak, and occasion no end of talk, de- 
terred her, and with slow, reluctant steps she 
followed the merry group down to the wharf. 

If those people had stopped long enough to 
think of it, this disposal of themselves would 
have had its ludicrous side. Certainly it was a 


134 Four Grirls at Chautauqua . 

strange fancy to run away twenty miles with 
lunches done up in paper in search of a picnic, 
when Chautauqua was one great picnic ground, 
stretching out before them in beauty and conven- 
ience. But the entire group belonged to that 
class of people for whom the fancy of the mo- 
ment, whatever it may be, has infinite charms. 

There was plenty of room on the Colonel 
Phillips. Very few people were traveling in 
that direction. 

“ It is really queer,” the Captain was over- 
heard to say, “ to take a party away from the 
grounds at this hour of the day.” 

. “ What an enthusiastic set of people they are 
about here,” Eurie said to Mr. Rawson, one of 
Mrs. Smithe’s party, as they paced the deck to- 
gether. “ The people all talk and act as though 
there was nowhere to go and nothing to do but 
attend those meetings. For my part it is a real 
relief to have a change in the programme.” 

“ Do you find it so ? ” he asked. “Well, now, 
I don’t agree with you. I think this proceeding 
is a real bore. My respected aunt is always 
getting up absurd freaks, and this is one of 
them, and the worst one, in my opinion, that 


Fleeing. 


135 


she has had for some time. I wanted to go to 
those meetings to-day — some of them, at least. 
One isn’t obliged to be there every minute. 
But it looks badly to run away.” 

Eurie eyed him closely. 

“Are you the ‘good nephew’ that your aunt 
said thought these meetings only a step below 
paradise ? ” she asked, at last. “ I wonder you 
would consent to come.” 

Mr. Rawson flushed deeply. 

“ I am not the ‘ good nephew ’ at all,” he said, 
trying to laugh. “The ‘good one’ wouldn’t 
come. My aunt tried all her powers of persua- 
sion on him in vain. But the truth is her elo- 
quence, or her persistence, proved too much for 
me, though I don’t like the looks of it, and 1 
don’t feel the pleasure of it, and I am afraid I 
shall make anything but an agreeable addition 
to the party. Now that is being frank, isn’t it, 
when I am walking the deck with a young 
lady?” 

“I don’t see why that circumstance should 
make it a surprising thing that you are frank. 
But I am very sorry for you ; perhaps you 
might prevail on the Captain to put you oF 


136 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

now, and let you swim back ; you could get 
there in time for the sermon. Is there to be a 
6ermon? What is it you are so anxious to 
hear ? ” 

“ All of it,” he said gloomily. “ I beg your 
pardon for being in so disagreeable a mood ; it is 
defrauding you out of some of your expected 
pleasure to have a dismal companion. But as I 
have commenced by being frank I may as well 
continue. I am dissatisfied with myself. I 
ought not to have come on this excursion. The 
truth is, I meant to make Chautanqua a help to 
me. I need the help badly enough. I am in 
the rush and whirl of business all the time at 
home. This is the only two weeks in the year 
that I am free, and I wanted to make it a great 
spiritual help to me. 1 know very well that 
merely hovering around in such an atmosphere 
as that at Chautauqua is a help to the Christian, 
and I came with the full intention of taking in 
all that I could get of this sort of inspiration, 
and it chafes me that so early in the meeting I 
have been led away against my inclinations by a 
little pressure that I might have fisted, and 
done no harm to any one. My cousin had the 


Fleeing. 


137 


same sort of influence brought to bear on him, 
and it had no more effect on him than it would 
on a stone.” 

He stopped, and seemed to give Eurie a 
chance to answer, but she was not inclined, and 
he added, as if he had just thought his words an 
implied reproach : “ I can understand how, to 
you } T oung ladies of comparative leisure, with 
plenty of time to cultivate the spiritual side of 
your natures, it should seem an unnecessary and 
perhaps a wearisome thing to attend all these 
meetings ; but you can not understand what it 
is to be in the whirl of business life, never hav- 
ing time to think, hardly having time to pray, 
and to get away from it all and go to heaven, as 
it were, for a fortnight, is something to be cov- 
eted by us as a great help.” 

Once more he waited for Eurie’s answer, but 
it was very different from what he had seemed 
to expect. 

“ You might just as well talk to me in the 
Greek language ; I should understand quite as 
well what you have been saying ; I don’t think 1 
have any spiritual side to my nature ; at least it 
has never been cultivated if I have ; and Chau* 


138 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

tauqua to me is just the place in which to have> 
a good free easy time ; go where I like and stay 
as long as I like ; and for once in my life not be 
bound by conventional forms. If heaven is any- 
thing like that I shouldn’t object to it ; but I’m 
sure your and my idea of it would differ. There, 
I’ve been frank now, and shocked you, I know. 
I see it in every line of your face. Poor fellow ! 
I don’t know what you will do, for there isn’t a 
single one of us who has the least idea what you 
mean by that sort of talk, unless you have some 
young ladies of a different type in your party, 
and from their manner I rather doubt it.” 

She had shocked him. He looked not only 
pained but puzzled. 

“I am very sorry,” he stammered. “I mean 
surprised. Yes, and disappointed. Of course I 
am that. I think I had imagined that it was 
only Christians who could be attracted to Chau- 
tauqua at all ; I meant to come to stay through 
all the services.” 

“ Your aunt, for instance ? ” Eurie said, in- 
quiringly. 

* “ My aunt is a Christian,” he answered, “ and 
a sincere one, too, though 1 see for some reason 


Fleeing. 


189 


you don’t think so. There are degrees in Chris- 
tianity, Miss Mitchell, just as there are in amia- 
bility, or culture, or beauty.” 

“ Mr. Rawson ! ” called a voice from the other 
end at this moment, and he in obedience to the 
call found Eurie a seat near some of her party 
and went away, only stopping to say, in low 
tones : 

“ I am sorry it is all ‘ Greek ’ to you ; you 
would enjoy understanding it, I am sure.” 

It so happened that those two people did not 
exchange another word together that day, but 
Eurie had got her thrust when and where she 
least expected it. She had taken it for granted 
that not a single fanatic was of their party. In 
the secret of her wise heart she denominated all 
the earnest people at Chautauqua fanatics, and 
all the half-hearted people hypocrites. Only 
she, who stood outside and felt nothing, was 
sincere and wise. 

Meantime Marion had undertaken a strange 
task. Mr. Charlie Flint was the gentleman 
who had drawn his chair near her, and said, as 
he drew a long breath : 

“It is exceedingly pleasant to breathe air 


140 Four Girls at Chautauqua, 

once more that isn’t heavy with psalm singing 
I think they are running that thing a little tot- 
steep over there. Who imagined that they 
were going to have meeting every minute in 
the day and evening, and give nobody a chance 
to breathe ? ” 

“ Have they exhausted you already ? ” Marion 
asked. “ Let me see, this is the morning of the 
second day, is it not ? ” 

“ Oh, as to myself, I was exhausted before I 
commenced it. I am only speaking a word for 
the lunatics who think they enjoy it. I am one 
of the victims to our cousin’s whim. He ex- 
pects to get me converted here, I think, or some- 
thing of that sort.” 

“ I wouldn’t be afraid of it,” Marion said, in 
disgust. “ I don’t believe there is the least dan- 
ger.” 

Mr. Charlie chose to consider this as a compli- 
ment, and bowed and smiled, and said : 

“ Thanks. Now tell me why, please.” 

“You don’t look like that class of people who 
are affected in that way.” 

He was wonderfully interested, and begged at 


Fleeing. 


141 


juce to know why. Marion had it in hei heart 
to say, “ Because they all look as though they 
had some degree of brain as well as body,” but 
even she had a little regard left for feelings ; so 
she contented herself with saying, savagely : 

“ Oh, they, as a rule, are the sort of people 
who think there is something in life worth doing 
and planning for, aud you look as though that 
would be too much trouble.” 

Now, Mr. Charlie by no means liked to be 
considered devoid of energy, so he said : 

“ Oh, you mistake. I think there are several 
things worth doing. But this eternal going to 
meeting, and whining over one’s soul, is not to 
my taste.” 

“ You think that it is more worth your while 
to take ladies out to ride and walk, and carry 
their parasols and muffs for them, and things of 
that sort. Since we are made for the purpose 
of staying here and showing our fine clothes for 
all eternity, of course it is foolish to have any- 
thing to do with one’s soul, that can only last 
for a few years or so I ” 

She hardly realized herself the intense scorn 


142 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


there was in her voice, and as for Charlie Flint, 
he muttered to himself : 

“ Upon my word, she is one of them ; of the 
bitterest sort, too ! What in creation is she do- 
ing here? Why didn’t she stay there and 
preach ? ” 




CHAPTER X. 


HQ vV THE “ FLITTING ” ENDED. 



S for Ruth, Erskine if she had been asked 


whether she was enjoying the day, she 


would hardly have known what answei 
to make ; she could not even tell why the excur- 
sion was not in every respect all that it had 
promised in the morning. She had no realization 
of how much the atmosphere of the day before 
lingered around her, and made her notice the 
contrast between the people of yesterday and the 
people of to-day. Mrs. Smithe, if she were a 
Christian, as her nephew insisted, was one of the 
most unfortunate specimens of that class for 
Ruth Erskine to meet ; because she was a woman 
who entered into pleasure and fashion, and 
entertainments of all sorts, with zest and energy, 


( 143 ) 


144 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

and only in matters of religious interest seemed 
to lose all life and zeal. 

Now Ruth Erskine, calm as a summer morn- 
ing herself over all matters pertaining to the 
souls of people in general, and her own in par- 
ticular, was yet exceedingly fond of seeing other 
people act in a manner that she chose to consider 
consistent with their belief ,* therefore she de- 
spised Mrs. Smithe for what she was pleased to 
term her “ hypocrisy.” At the same time, while 
at Saratoga, she had quite enjoyed her society. 
They rode together on fine mornings, sipped 
their “ Congress ” together before lunch, and at- 
tended hops together in the evenings. Now the 
reason why Mrs. Smithe’s society had so sud- 
denly palled upon her, and the words that she 
was pleased to call “ conversation ” become such 
vapid things, Ruth did not know, and did not for 
one instant attribute to Chautauqua ; and yet 
that meeting had already stamped its impression 
upon her. From serene, indifferent heights she 
liked to look down upon and admire earnest- 
ness ; therefore Chautauqua, despite all her dis- 
gust over the common surroundings and awk- 
ward accommodations, had pleased her fancy and 


How the “ Flitting ” Ended. 


145 


arrested her attention more than she herself 
realized. It was her fate to be thrown almost 
constantly with Mrs. Smithe during the day, and 
before the afternoon closed she was surfeited. 
She heartily wished herself bad: to the grounds, 
and found herself wondering what they were 
singing, and whether the service of song was 
really very interesting. 

One episode in her day had interested her, and 
she could not tell whether it had most amused or 
annoyed her. One of their party was convers- 
ing with a gentleman as she came up. She had 
just time to observe that he was young and fine- 
looking, when the two turned to her, and she 
was introduced to the stranger. 

“ You are from Chautauqua? ” he said, speak- 
ing rapidly and earnestly. “ Grand meeting, 
isn’t it? Going to be better than last year, I 
think. Were you there ? No? Then you don’t 
know what a treat you are to have. I’m 
very sorry to lose to-day. It has been a good 
day, I know. The programme was rich ; but a 
matter of business made it necessary to be away. 
It is unfortunate for me that I am so near home. 
If I were two or three hundred miles away, 


146 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

where the business couldn’t reach me, I should 
get more benefit. Miss Erskine, what is youi 
opinion of the direct spiritual results of this gath- 
ering? I do not mean upon Christians. No one, 
of course, can doubt its happy influence upon 
our hearts and lives. But I mean, are you hope- 
ful as to the reaching of many of the uncon- 
verted, or do you consider its work chiefly 
among us ? ” 

Such a volley of words ? They fairly poured 
forth! And the speaker was so intensely in 
earnest, and so assured in his use of that word 
w we,” as if it were a matter that was entirely 
beyond question that she was one of the magic 
“ we.” She did not know how to set out to work 
to enlighten him. In fact, she gave little thought 
to that part of the matter, but, instead, fell to 
wondering what was her idea — whether she did 
expect to see results of any sort from the 
great gathering, and that being the case, what 
she expected? “Spiritual results,” she said to 
herself, and a smile hovered over her face — 
what were “ spiritual results ? ” She knew nothing 
about them. Were there any such things ? Eu 
rie Mitchell, had such a question occurred to her 


How the 44 Flitting ” Ended . 


147 


would have asked it aloud at once and enjoyed 
the sense of shocking her auditor. But Ruth 
did not like to shock people ; she was too much 
of a lady for that. 

44 What proportion of that class of people are 
here, do you think ? ” she said, at last. 44 Are 
not the most of them professing Christians. ? ” 

44 Precisely the question that interests me. 1 
should really like to know. I wonder if there is 
no way of coming at it ? We might call for a 
rising vote of all who loved the Lord ; could we 
not ? Wouldn’t it be a beautiful sight ? — a great 
army standing up for him ! I incline to youi 
opinion that the most of them are Christians, or 
at least a large proportion. But I should very 
much like to know just how far this idea had 
touched the popular heart, so as to call out those 
who are not on the Lord’s side.” 

44 They would simply have come for the fun of 
the thing, or the novelty of it,” she said, feeling 
amused again that almost of necessity she wa* 
speaking of herself and using the pronoun 44 they.” 
What would this gentleman think if he should 
bring about that vote of which he spoke and 
happen to see her among the seated ones ? 


148 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

“ 4 A wolf in sheep’s clothing ’ he would sup- 
pose me to be,” she said to herself. 44 But I am 
sure I have not told him that I belong to the 
4 we ’ at all. If he chooses to assume things in 
that way, it is not my fault.” 

Apparently he answered both her expressed 
sentence and her thought : 

44 1 do not think so,” he said, earnestly. 44 1 
doubt if any have come simply for fun or for 
novelty. There are better places in which to 
gratify both tastes. I believe there is more actual 
interest in this subject, even among the uncon- 
verted, than many seem to think. They are rea- 
sonable beings. They must think, and many of 
them, no doubt, think to good purpose. It may 
not be clear even to themselves for what they 
have come ; But I believe in some instances, to 
say the least, it will prove to have been the call 
of the Spirit.” 

Again Ruth felt herself forced to smile, not at 
the earnestness — she liked that, but there was 
her party, and she rapidty reviewed them — 
Marion, with her calm, composed, skeptical 
views, indifferent alike to the Christian or un- 
christian way of doing things ; Eurie, who lived 


How the “ Flitting ” Ended . 


149 


and breathed for the purpose of having what in 
wild moments she called “ a high time ; ” Flossy 
with her dainty wardrobe, and her dainty ways, 
and her indifference to everything that demanded 
thought or care. Which of them had been 
44 called by the Spirit ” ? There was herself, and 
for the time she gave a little start. What had 
she come to Chautauqua for ? After all she was 
the only one who seemed to be absolutely with- 
out a reason for being there. Marion’s avowed 
intention had been to make some money ; Eurie’s 
to have a free and easy time ; Flossy had come 
as she did everything else, because “ they ” did. 
But now, what about Ruth Erskine ? She was 
not wont to do as others did, unless it happened 
to please her. What had been her motive ? It 
was strange to feel that she really did not know. 
What if this strange speaking young man were 
right, and she had been singled out by the Spirit 
of God ! The thought gave her a thrill, not of 
pleasure, but of absolute, nervous fear. What 
did she know of that gracious Spirit? What 
did she know of Christ ? To her there was no 
beauty in him. She desired simply to be left 
alone. She was silent so long that her compan 


150 Four GrirU at Chautauqua . 

ion gave her a very searching review from undei 
his heavy eyebrows, and then his face suddenly 
lighted as if he had solved a problem. 

“ May I venture to prophesy that you have 
some friend here whom you would give much 
to feel had been drawn here by the very Spirit 
of God ? ” He spoke the words eagerly and 
with earnestness, but with utmost respect, and 
added, “ If I am right I will add the name to my 
list for special prayer. Do not think me rude, 
please. I know how pleasant it is to feel there 
is a union of desire in prayer. I have enjoyed 
that help often. We do not always need to 
know who those are for whom we pray. God 
knows them, and that is the needful thing. 
Good-evening. I am glad to have met you. It 
is pleasant to have additions to our list of fellow- 
heirs.” 

How bright his smile was as he said those 
words I And how thoroughly manly and yet 
how strikingly childlike had been his words and 
his trust I Ruth watched him as he walked rap- 
idly away to overtake a friend who had just 
passed them. Do you remember a certain gen- 
tleman, Harold Wayne by name, who had walked 


How the “ Flitting ” Ended . 


151 


with them, walked especially with Ruth, down 
to the depot on the morning of departure, who 
had toyed with her fan and complained that he 
could not imagine what they were going to bury 
themselves out there for ? Ruth thought of him 
now, and the contrast between his lazily exquis- 
ite air and drawling words and the fresh, earnest 
life that glowed in this young man’s veins 
brought a positive quiver of disgust over her 
handsome face. There was no shadow of a 
smile upon it now. Instead, she felt a nameless 
dread. How strange the talk had been ! To 
what had she committed herself by her silence 
and his blunders ? She pray for any one ! What 
a queer thing that would be to do. She anxious 
that any one should be led by the spirit of God ! 
The spirit of God frightened her. For whom 
would this young man pray ? Not certainly for 
any friend of hers ; yet he would put the name 
of some stranger in his prayers. He was thor- 
oughly in earnest, and he was the sort of a man 
to do just what he said. God, he had said, 
would understand whom he meant. For whom 
would God count those prayers? For her? 
And that thought also frightened her. 


152 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

“ They are all lunatics, I verily believe, from 
the leaders to the followers,” she said in irrita- 
tion, and then she wished herself at home. Dur- 
ing the remainder of the day she was engaged in 
trying to shake off the impression that the 
stranger had left upon her. Go where she 
would, say what she might, and she really ex- 
erted herself to be brilliant and entertaining, 
there followed her around the memory of those 
great, earnest eyes when he said, “ I will add the 
name to my list for special prayer.” What 
name ? He knew hers. He would say, doubt- 
less, “ Her friend for whom she was anxious.” 
But the one to whom he prayed would know 
there was no such person. What would He do 
with that earnest prayer? For she knew it 
woMld be earnest. She was not used to theolog- 
ica mazes, and if ever a girl was heartily glad 
when a day of pleasuring was over, and the boat 
had touched again at the Chautauqua wharf, it 
was Ruth Erskine. 

As for Flossy, it so happened that Charlie 
Flint, after Marion had startled and disgusted 
him, sought refuge with her. She was pretty 
and dainty, and did not look strong-minded ; 


How the “ F litting ” Ended . 


153 


not in the least as if her forte was to preach, so 
he made ready to have a running fire of small 
talk with her. 

This had been Flossy’s power in conversation 
for several years. He had judged her rightly 
there. But do you remember with whom her 
morning had commenced? Do you know that 
all the day thus far she had seemed to herself to 
be shadowed by a glorious presence, who walked 
steadily beside her, before her, on either hand, 
to shield, and help and bless ? 

It was very sweet to Flossy, and she was very 
happy ; happier than she had ever been in her 
life. She smiled to herself as the others chatted, 
she hummed in undertone the refrain of a hymn 
that she had caught in a near tent that morn- 
ing: 

“ I am so glad that Jesus loves me.” 

Wasn't she glad ! Was there anything better to 
find in all this world than the assurance of this 
truth? She felt that the thought was large 
enough to fill heaven itself. After that, what 
hope was there for Charlie Flint and his small 
talk ? Still, he tried it, and if ever he did hard 
work it was during that talk. Flossy was sweet 


154 


Four Grirls at Chautauqua. 


and cheery, but preoccupied. There was a tan 
talizingly pleasant smile on her face, as if hei 
thoughts might be full of beauty, but none of 
them seemed to appear in her words. She did 
not flush over his compliments, nor was she dis- 
turbed at his bantering. 

He got out of all patience. 

“ I beg pardon,” he said, in his flippantly gal- 
lant way, “but I’m inclined to think you are 
very selfish ; you are having your enjoyment all 
to yourself. To judge by the face which you 
have worn all day your heart is bubbling over 
with it, and yet you think about it instead of 
giving me a bit.” 

Flossy looked up with a shy, sweet smile that 
was very pleasant to see, and the first blush he 
had been able to call forth that day glowed on 
her cheeks. Was it true ? she questioned within 
herself. Was she being selfish in this, her new 
joy ? Ought she to try to tell him about it ? 
Would he understand ? and could she speak 
about such things, anyway? She didn’t know 
how. She shrank from it, and yet perhaps it 
would be so pleasant to him to know. No, on 
the whole, she did not think it would be pleas- 


How trie “ Flitting ” Ended. 


155 


&nt. The} r had not talked of the meetings noi 
of religious matters at all ; but for all that the 
subtle magnetism that there is about some peo- 
ple had told her that Charlie Flint would not 
sympathize ir her new hopes and joys. 

Well, if that were so, ought she not all the 
more to tell him, so that he might know that to 
one more person Christ had proved himself a 
reality, and not the spiritual fancy that he used 
to seem to her? Flossy, you see, was taking 
long strides that first day of her Christian expe- 
rience, and was reaching farther than some Chris- 
tians reach who have been practicing for years. 
Something told her that here was a chance of 
witnessing for the one who had just saved her. 
She thought these thoughts much more quickly 
than it has taken me to write them, and then 
she spoke : 

“ Have I been selfish ? I do not know but I 
have. It is all so utterly new that I hardly 
know how I am acting; but it is true that my 
heart has been as light as a bird’s all day. The 
truth is, I have found a friend here at Chautam 
qua who has just satisfied me.” 


156 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

“Have you indeed! ” said Mr. Charlie, giving, 
in spite of his well-bred effort to quell it, an 
amused little laugh. And in his heart he said, 
“ What a ridiculous little mouse she is I I won* 
der if they have the wedding day set already, 
and if she will announce it to me?” Then 
aloud : “ How very fortunate you have been ! I 
wish I could find a friend so easily as that ! I 
wonder if I am acquainted with him ? Would 
you mind telling me his name ? ” 

And then Flossy answered just one word in a 
low voice that was tremulous with feeling, and 
at the same time wonderfully clear, and with a 
touch of joy in it that would not be suppressed, 
“ Jesus.” 

Then it was that the exquisite young fop at 
her side was utterly dumbfounded. He could 
not remember ever before in his life being so com- 
pletely taken by surprise and dismay that he had 
not a word to answer. But this time he said 
not a single word. He did not even attempt an 
answer, but paced the length cf the deck beside 
her in utter and confused silence, then abruptly 
seated her, still in silence, and went hurriedly 


Row the “ Flitting ” Ended. 


157 


away. Flossy, occupied with the rush of feeling 
that this first witnessing for the new name 
called forth, gave little heed to his manner, and 
was indifferent to his departure. He was right 
as to one thing. Her love was still selfish : it 
was so new and sweet to her that it occupied all 
her heart, and left no room as yet for the out- 
side world who knew not this friend of hers. 
They were almost at the dock now, and the 
glimmer of the Chautauqua lights was growing 
into a steady brightness. As she stood leaning 
over the boat’s side and watching the play of 
the silver waves, there brushed past her one 
who seemed to be very quietly busy. One 
hand was full of little leaflets, and he was drop- 
ping one on each chair and stool as he passed. 
She glanced at the one nearest her and read the 
title : “ The True Friend,” and it brought an in- 
stant flush of brightness to her face to under- 
stand those words and feel that the Friend was 
hers. Then she glanced at the worker and rec- 
ognized his face. He had prayed for her. She 
could not forget that face. It was plain also 
that his eyes fell on her. He knew her, and 
something in her face prompted the low-toned 


158 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

sentence as he paused before her: “You have 
found the Father, I think.” 

And Flossy, with brightening eyes, answered, 
quickly, “ Yes, I have.” 

And then the boat touched at the wharf, and 
the crowd elbowed their way out. 

There were two opinions expressed about that 
excursion by two gentlemen* as they made their 
way up the avenue. One of the gentleman was 
clerical, and spectacled, and solemn. 

“ There go a boat-load of excursionists,” he 
said to his companion. 

“ They come, as likely as not delegates, from 
some church or Sabbath-school, and the way 
they do their work is to go off for a frolic and 
be gone all day. I saw them when I left this 
morning. That is a specimen of a good deal of 
the dissipation that is going on here under the 
guise of religion. I don’t know about it ; some- 
times I am afraid more harm than good will be 
done.” 

The other speaker was Mr. Charlie Flint, and 
as he rushed past these two he said to his com- 
panion, “ Confound it all ! Talk about getting 
away from these meetings ! It’s no use ; it can’t 


How the “ Flitting ” Ended. 


159 


be done. A fellow might just as well stay here 
and run every time the bell rings. I heard more 
preaching to-day on this excursion than I did 
yesterday; and a good deal more astonishing 
preaching, too.” 





CHAPTER XI. 

HEART TOUCHES. 

lARION gave her hair an energetic twist 
as she made her toilet the next morning, 
and announced her determination. 

“ This day is to be devoted conscientiously to 
the legitimate business that brought me to this 
region. Yesterday’s report will have to be cop- 
ied from the Buffalo papers, or made out of my 
own brain. But I’m going to work to-day. I 
have a special interest in the programme for this 
morning. The subject for the lecture just suits 
me.” 

( 100 ) 


Heart Touche a. 


161 


u What is it ? ” Eurie asked, yawning, and 
wishing there was another picnic in progress 
Neither heart nor brain were particularly inter- 
ested in Chautauqua. 

“ Why, it is 4 The Press and the Sunday-school.’ 
Of course the press attracts me, as I intend to 
belong to the staff when I get through teaching 
young ideas.” 

“ But what about the Sunday-school ? ” Ruth 
questioned, with a calm voice. 44 You can not 
be expected to have any special interest in that. 
You never go to such an institution, do you ? ” 

44 1 was born and brought up in one. But that 
isn’t the point. The subject to-day is Sunday- 
school literature, I take it. The subject is 
strung together, 4 The Press and the Sunday- 
school,’ without any periods between them, and 
Pm exceedingly interested in that, for just as 
soon as I get time I’m going to write a Sunday- 
school book.” 

This announcement called forth bursts of 
laughter from all the girls. 

44 Why not ? ” Marion said, answering the 
laugh. 44 1 hope you don’t intimate that I can’t 
do it. I don’t know anything easier to do. You 


162 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

just have to gather together the most improbable 
set of girls and boys, and rack your brains for 
things that they never did do, or could do, or 
ought to do, and paste them all together with a 
little ‘good talk,’ and you have your book, as 
orthodox as possible. Do any of you know any- 
thing about Dr. Walden? He is the speaker. 
I presume he is as dry as a stick, and won’t give 
me a single idea that I can weave into my book. 
I’m going to begin it right away. Girls, I’m go- 
ing to put you all in, only I can’t decide which 
shall be the good one. Flossy, do you suppose 
there is enough imagination in me to make you 
into a book saint ? They always have a saint, 
you know.” 

There was a pretty flush on Flossy’s cheek, 
but she answered, brightly : 

“You might try, Marion, and I’ll engage to 
practice on the character, if it is really and 
truly a good one.” 

“I had a glimpse of Dr. Walden,” Eurie said, 
answering the question. “ He was pointed out 
to me yesterday. He looked dignified enough 
to write a theological review. Tm not going to 
hear him. What’s the use ? I came for fun, 


Rem Touches . 


163 


and I’m going m search of it all this day. I have 
studied the programme, and there is just one 
thing that I’m going to attend, and that is Frank 
Beard’s ‘ chalk talk.’ I know that will be capi- 
tal, and he won’t bore one with a sermon poked 
\n every two minutes.” 

So the party divided for the day. Marion and 
Ruth went to the stand, and Flossy strayed to a 
side tent, and what happened to her you shall 
presently hear. Eurie wandered at her fancy, 
and enjoyed a “stupid time,” so she reported. 

Marion’s pencil moved rapidly over the paper 
almost as soon as Dr. Walden commenced, until 
presently she whispered in dismay to Ruth : 

“ I do wish he would say something to leave 
out ! This letter will be fearfully long. How 
sharp he is, isn’t he ? ” 

Then she scribbled again. Ruth had the ben- 
efit of many side remarks. 

“ My ! ” Marion said, with an accompanying 
grimace. “What an army of books! All for 
Sunday-schools. Three millions given out every 
Sunday ! Does that seem possible ! Brother 
Hart, I’m afraid you are mistaken. Didn’t he 
say that was Dr. Hart’s estimate, Ruthie ? There 


164 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

is certainly a good chance for mine, if so many 
are needed every week. I shall have to go right 
to work at it. What if I should write one, Ruth, 
and what if it should take , and all the millions of 
Sunday-schools want it at once I J ust as likely r 
as not. T am a genius. They never know it 
until afterward. I shall certainly put you in, 
Ruthie, in some form. So you are destined to 
immortality, remember.” 

“ I wish you wouldn’t whisper so much,” whis- 
pered back Ruth. “ People are looking at us in 
an annoyed way. What is the matter with you, 
Marion ? I never knew you to run on in such 
an absurd way. That is bad enough for 
Eurie ! ” 

“ I’m developing,” whispered Marion. “ It is 
the ‘ reflex influence of Chautauqua ’ that you 
hear so much about.” 

Then she wrote this sentence from Dr. Wal- 
den’s lips : 

“ Every author whose books go into the Sab- 
bath-school is as much a teacher in that school as 
though he had classes there. A good book is a 
book that will aid the teacher in his work of 
bringing souls to Christ. I have known the 


Heart Touches. 


165 


earnest teaching of months to be defeated by 
one single volume of the wrong kind being 
placed in the hands of the scholar.” 

Suddenly Marion sat upright, slipped hei pen- 
cil and note-book into her pocket, and wrote no 
more. A sentence in that address had struck 
home. This determination to enter the lists as 
a writer was not all talk. She had long ago de- 
cided to turn her talents in that direction as the 
easiest thing in the line of literature, whither 
her taste ran. She had read many of the stand- 
ard Sunday-school books ; read them with amused 
eyes and curling lips, and felt entirely conscious 
that she could match them in intellectual powei 
and interest, and do nothing remarkable then 
But there rang before her this sentence : 

“ Every author whose books go into the Sab- 
bath-school is as much a teacher in that school 
as though he had classes there.” A teacher in 
the Sabbath-school ! Actually a teacher. She 
had never intended that. She had no desire to 
be a hypocrite. She had no desire to lead astray. 
Could she write a book that young people ought 
to bring from the Sabbath-school with them, and 
have it say nothing about Christ and heaven and 


166 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

the Christian life ? Surely she could not be a 
teacher without teaching of these things. Musi 
she teach them incidentally ? Was saying noth- 
ing about them speaking against them ? Dr. 
Walden more than intimated this. 

“ After all,” she said, speaking to Ruth as the 
address closed, “ I don’t think I shall commence 
my book yet.” 

“ Why ? ” 

“ Oh, because I am sacred.” Then, impa- 
tiently, after a moment’s silence, during which 
they changed their seats, “I’m disgusted with 
Chautauqua I It is going to spoil me. I feel 
my ambition oozing out at the ends of my toes, 
instead of my fingers as I had designed. Every- 
body is so awfully solemn, and has so much to 
say about eternity, it seems we can’t whisper 
to each other without starting something that 
doesn’t even end in eternity. But, wasn’t he 
logical and eloquent? ” 

“I don’t know,” Ruth said, absently. And 
she wondered if Marion knew how true her 
words were. Ruth had heard scarcely a word 
of Dr. Walden’s address since that last whisper, 
r ‘So you are destined to immortality, remem- 


Heart Touches . 


167 


ber.” Words spoken in jest, and yet thrilling 
her through and through with a solemn mean- 
ing. She had always known and always be- 
lieved this. She was no skeptic, yet her heart 
had never taken it in, with a great throb of anx- 
iety, as it did at that moment. Was she being 
led of the Spirit of God ? 

The two merely changed their positions and 
looked about them a little, and then prepared to 
give attention to the next entertainment, which 
was a story from Emily Huntington Miller 
Marion was the only one who was in the least 
familiar with her, she being the only one who 
had felt that absorbing interest in juvenile liter- 
ature that had led her to keep pace with the 
times. 

“ I’m disposed to listen to her with all due re- 
spect and attention,” she said, as she rearranged 
herself and got out her note-book. “ She is one 
of the few people who seem not to have bidden 
a solemn farewell to their common sense when 
they set out to entertain the children. I have 
read everything she ever wrote, and liked it, too. 
I set out to make an idol of her in my more ju- 
venile days. I used to think that the height of 


1(58 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

my ambition would be attained if I could ha\e a 
long look at her. I’m going to try it to-day, 
and see if it satisfies me ; though we are such 
aspiring and unsatisfied creatures that I strongly 
suspect I shall go on reaching out for something 
else even after this experience.” 

Very little whispering was done after that for 
some time. Although Marion made light of her 
youthful dreams, there was a strong feeling of 
excitement and interest clustering around this 
first sight of the woman whose name she had 
known so long ; and something in the fair, sweet 
face and cultured voice fascinated and held her, 
much as she had fancied in her earlier days 
would be the case. She frowned when she 
heard the request to reporters to “lay aside 
their pencils.” She had meant to earn laurels 
by reporting this delicious bit of imagery, set in 
between the graver sermons and lectures ; but, 
after all, it was a rest to give herself up to the 
uninterrupted enjoyment of taking in every 
word and tone — taking it in for her own pri- 
vate benefit. “ The Parish of Fair Haven.” 
How heartily she enjoyed it. The refined and 
delicate, and yet keen and intense satire under- 


Heart Touches . 


169 


lying the whole quaint original story, was of 
just the nature to hold, and captivate tier. She 
was just in the mood to enjoy it, too. For was 
it not aimed at that class of people who awak- 
ened her own keenest sense of satire — the so- 
called “ Christian world ” ? She did not belong 
to it, you know ; in her own estimation was en- 
tirely without the pale of its sarcasm ; stranded 
on a high and majestic rock of unbelief in every- 
thing, and in a condition to be amused at the 
follies of people who played at belief; and 
treated what they 'played was solemn realities 
as if they were cradle stories or nicely woven 
fiction. There was no listener in all that crowd 
who so enjoyed the keen play of wit and the 
sharp home thrusts as did Marion Wilber. Ruth 
was a little undecided what to think ; she did 
not belong to the class who were hit, to be sure, 
but her father always gave largely to missions 
whenever the solicitor called on him : she had 
beard his name mentioned with respect as one 
of the most benevolent men of the day ; she did 
not quite like the very low and matter-of-course 
place which Mrs. Miller’s view of the mission 
question gave him. According to the people of 


170 Four Chris at Chautauqua. 

Fair Haven, to give one’s thousands to the cause 
was the most commonplace thing in the world — 
not to do so was to be an inhuman wretch. 
Ruth didn’t quite like it — in truth she was just 
enough within the circle of modern Christianity 
to feel herself slightly grazed by the satire. 

“It is absurd,” she said to Marion as they 
went up the hill. “ What is the sense in a 
woman talking in that way? As if people, 
were they ever so good and benevolent, could 
get themselves up in that ridiculous manner! 
If we live in the world at all we have to have a 
little regard for propriety. I wonder if she 
thinks one's entire time and money should be 
devoted to the heathen ? ” 

Marion answered her with spirit. 

“ Oh, don't try to apologize for the folly that 
is going on in this world in the name of relig- 
ion ! It can’t be done, and sensible people only 
make fools of themselves if they attempt it. 
There is nothing plainer or more impossible to 
deny than that church-members give and work 
and pray for the heathen as though they were a 
miserable and abominable set of brutes, who 
ought to be exterminated from the face of the 


Heart Touches. 


171 


earth, but for whom some ridiculous fanatics 
called 4 missionaries’ had projected a wild scheme 
to do something ; and they, forsooth, must be 
kept from starving somehow, even though they 
had been unmitigated fools ; so the paltry col- 
lections are doled out, with sarcastic undertones 
about the 4 waste of money,’ and the sin of mis- 
sionaries wearing clothes, and expecting to have 
things to eat after throwing themselves away 
Don’t talk to me ! I’ve been to missionary so- 
cieties ; I know all about it. The whole system 
is one that is exactly calculated to make infidels. 
I believe Satan got it up, because he knew in 
just what an abominable way the dear Chris- 
tians would go at it, and what a horrid farce 
they would make of it all.” 

44 It is a great pity you are not a Christian, 
Marion. I never come in contact with any one 
who understands their duty so thoroughly as 
you appear to, and I think you ought to be 
practicing.” 

Ruth said this calmly enough. She was not 
particularly disturbed ; she did not belong to 
them, you know ; but for all that she was re- 
motely connected with those who did, and was 


172 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

just enough jarred to make her give this quiet 
home thrust. Oddly enough it struck Marion 
as it never had before, although the same idea 
had been suggested to her by other nettled mor- 
tals. It was true that she had realized how the 
practicing ought to be done, and a vague wish 
that she did believe in it all, and could work by 
their professed standard with all her soul , flitted 
over her. 

Meantime Flossy was being educated. The 
morning work had touched her from a different 
standpoint. She had not heard Dr. W alden ; 
instead she had wandered into a bit of holy 
ground. She began by losing her way. It is 
one of the easiest things to do at Chautauqua. 
The avenues cross and recross in an altogether 
bewildering manner to one not accustomed to 
newly laid-out cities ; and just when one imag- 
ines himself at the goal for which he started, 
lo I there is woods, and nothing else anywhere. 
Another attempt patiently followed for an hour 
has the exasperating effect of bringing him to 
the very point from which he started. Such aD 
experience had Flossy, when by reason of hei 
loitering propensities she became detached from 


Heart Touches. ] 73 

her party, and tried to find her own way to the 
stand. A whole hour of w andering, then a turn 
into perfect chaos. She had no more idea where 
she was than if she had been in the by-ways of 
London. Clearly she must inquire the way. 
She looked about her. It was queer to be lost 
in the woods, and yet be surrounded by tents 
and people. She stooped and peeped timidly 
into a tent, the corner of which was raised to 
admit air, and from which the sound of voices 
issued. 

“Come in,” said a pleasant voice, and the 
bright-faced hostess arose from the foot of her 
bed and came forward with greeting, exactly as 
though they had been waiting for Flossy all the 
morning. “Would you like to rest? Come 
right in, we have plenty of room and the most 
lovely accommodations,” and a silvery laugh 
accompanied the words, while the little lady 
whisked a tin basin from a low stool, and dust- 
ing it rapidly with her handkerchief proffered 
her guest a seat, with as graceful an air as 
though the stool had been an easy-chair uphol- 
stered in velvet. The only other sitting-place, 
t.hfl low bed. was full, there being three ladies 


174 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

tucked about on it in various stages of restful 
work, for they had books and papers strewn 
about, and each held a pencil poised as if ready 
for action at a moment. 

“ I’m afraid I intrude,” Flossy said, sweetly ; 
“ but the truth is, I have lost my friends and my 
way, and I really am an object of pity, for I 
have been wandering up hill and down, till my 
strength is less than it was.” 

Poor child ! ” came sympathetically from the 
bed, spoken by the eldest of the ladies, while 
another rapidly improvised a fan out of the Sun- 
day-School Times, and passed it to her. 

Meantime Flossy looked about her in secret 
delight. Something about the air of the tent 
and the surroundings, and an indefinite some- 
thing about every one of the ladies, told her as 
plainly as words could have done that she was 
among the workers; that she had unwittingly 
and gracefully slipped behind the scenes, and 
had been cordially admitted to one of the work' 
shops of Chautauqua ; and there were so man y 
things she wanted to know I 


CHAPTER XII. 



FLOSSY AT SCHOOL. 

jHE hadn’t the least idea who they were, 
but, like an earnest little diplomatist, she 
set to work to find out. 

“ I started for the auditorium,” she said. “ I 
wanted to hear Dr. Walden, but he has had time 
to make a long speech and get through since I 
first started. I think it must be nearly eleven.” 

“ No,” they said laughing, “ it is only half past 
ten.” Her wanderings had not been so long as they 
seemed ; but it was hardly worth while to try to 
hear anything from him now, she would not be 
at all likely to get a seat ; and, besides, his time 
was nearly over. She would better wait and go 
down with them in time for Mrs. Miller. 

“ We were obliged to miss Dr. Walden,” the 

elder lady explained. “We disliked to very 

( 175 ) 


176 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

much ; probably it was as instructive as ny- 
thing we shall get ; but we had work that haa 
be done, so we ran away.” 

“ Do you have to bring work to Chautauqua 
with you ? ” Flossy asked, with insinuating 
sweetness. “ How very busy you must be ! I 
would have tried to run away from my work for 
two weeks if I had been you.” 

The bright little hostess laughed. 

“ Chautauqua makes work,” she said, “ and 
somebody has to get ready for it. This lady beside 
me expects an overwhelming Sabbath class here, 
and much time has to be given to the lesson. 
We lesser mortals are ostensibly going to help 
her, but in reality we are going to look and see 
how she does it.” 

“ Have you found out ? ” Flossy asked in a 
little tremor of delight. This was what she 
wanted, to know how to do it all. 

The lady who had been pointed out as teacher 
answered her quickly, so far as her words could 
be said to be an answer : 

“ Are you a Sabbath-school teacher ? ” 

“ No,” Flossy said, flushing and feeling like a 
naughty child whose curiosity had led her into 


Flossy at School. 


177 


mischief. “ No, I am not anything , but J want 
to be; I don’t know how to work at all in any 
way, but I want to learn.” 

“ Are you looking for work to do for the Mas- 
ter ? ” the same lady asked, with a sweet cheery 
voice and smile, not at all as if this were a sub- 
ject which she must touch cautiously. 

“ Yes,” Flossy said, her cheeks all in a glow. 
“ She did not know how to work, she had but 
just found out that she wanted to ; indeed she 
had but yesterday known anything of Him.” 

Then this unusual company of ladies came 
with one consent and eager eyes and voices and 
took her hand, and said how glad they were to 
welcome her to the ranks. They knew she 
would love the work, and the rewards were so 
sure and so precious. All this was new and 
strange and delightful to Flossy. Then they 
began each eagerly to tell about their work ; 
they were all infant or primary class teachers, 
and all enthirsiasts. Who that has to do with 
the teaching of little children and attains to any 
measure of success but is largely gifted with 
this same element? They had been talking 
over and preparing their lesson together, and 


178 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

they talked it over again before the bewildered 
Flossy, who had no idea that there was such a 
wonderful story in all the Bible as they were 
developing out of a few bare details. 

“We had just reached the vital point of the 
entire lesson,” explained the leader, “ the place 
where every true teacher needs most help; 
where, having arranged all her facts and got 
them in martial order in her brain, she wants to 
know the best way of making those facts of prac- 
tical present service to the little children who 
will be before her, and at this point I think 
every teacher needs to go to the fountain head 
for help. We were just going to pray; you 
would like, perhaps, to join us for just a few 
moments.” 

“If she wouldn’t intrude,” Flossy said, tim- 
idly, in a tremor of satisfaction ; and then for 
the first time in her life she bowed with a com- 
pany of her own sex, and heard the simple ear- 
nest voice of prayer. The words were startlingly 
direct and simple, and Flossy, who had been full 
of mysterious awe on this question, and who 
much doubted whether her timid whispers alone 
in her tent could have been called prayer, waa 
rcaaaured and comforted. 


179 


Flossy at School . 

If this were prayer, it was simply talking in 
a sweet, natural voice, and in the most simple 
and natural language, with a dear and wisf 
friend. It was the most quiet and yet the most 
confident way of asking for just what one 
wanted, and nothing more. It was what Flossy 
needed. 

She took long strides in her religious educa- 
tion there on her knees ; and as they went out 
from that tent and down the hill to the meeting, 
there was born in her heart an eager determina 
tion to enter the lists as a Sabbath-school teacher 
the very first opportunity, and to pray her lessor 
into her heart, having done what she could to 
get it into her head. If her anxious and well- 
nigh discouraged pastor could have been gifted 
with supernatural and prophetic vision, and could 
have seen that resolve, and, looking ahead, the 
fruit that was to be borne from it, how would 
his anxious soul have thanked God and taken 
courage ! 

In this mood came Flossy to listen to the story 
of “ The Parish of Fair Haven,” as it flowed 
down to her in Mrs. Miller’s smooth- toned mu- 
sical voice. One who comes from her knees to 


180 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

listen is sure to find the seed if it lias been put 
in. Flossy found hers. 

Often in the course of her young life she had 
been at church and sat in the attitude of listener 
while a missionary sermon was preached. She 
had heard, perhaps, ten sentences from those 
sermons, not ten consecutive sentences, but 
words scattered here and there through the 
whole ; from these she had gathered that there 
was to be a collection taken for the cause of 
Missions. Just where the money was to go, 
and just what was to be done with it when it 
arrived, what had been accomplished by mis- 
sionary effort, what the Christian world was 
hoping for in that direction — all these things 
Flossy Shipley knew no more about than her 
kitten did. 

Perhaps it was not strange then, that although 
abundantly supplied with pin-money, she had 
never in her life given anything to the work of 
Missions. Not that she would not willingly 
have deposited some of her money in the box for 
whatever use the authorities chose to make of it 
had she happened to have any ; but young la- 
dies as a rule have been educated to imagine 


Flossy at School . 


181 


that there is one day in the week in which theii 
portmonnaies can be off duty. There being no 
shopping to be done, no worsteds to match, no 
confectionary to tempt what earthly use foi 
money ? So it was locked up at home. This, 
at least, is the way in which Flossy Shipley had 
argued, without knowing that she argued at all. 

Now she was looking at things with new 
eyes; the same things that she had heard of 
hundreds of times, but how different they were ! 
What a remarkable scheme it was, this carrying 
the story of Jesus to those miserable ignorant 
ones, getting them ready for the heaven that 
had been made ready for them ! The people 
of “ Fair Haven ” did not appear to her like lu- 
natics, as they did to Ruth Erskine. She was 
not, you will remember, of the class who had 
argued this question in their ignorance, ana 
quieted their consciences with the foolish asser- 
tion that the church collections went to pay sec- 
retaries and treasurers and erect splendid public 
buildings. She belonged, rather, to that less 
hopeless class who had never thought at all. 
Now, as she listened, her eyes brightened with 
feeling and her cheeks glowed. The whole sub- 


182 Four (rirts at Chautauqua . 

lime romance of Missions was being mapped out 
to her on the face of that quaint allegory, and 
her heart responded warmly. 

Curiously enough, her first throbs of conscience 
were not for herself but for her father. The 
portly gentleman who occasionally sat at the 
head of the Shipley pew, and who certainly 
never parted company with his pocket-book on 
Sabbath or on any other day, did he give liberally 
to Foreign Missions ? 

She could not determine as to the probabilities 
of the case. He was counted a liberal man — 
people liked to come to him to start subscrip- 
tions; but Flossy felt instinctively that a sub- 
scription paper with her father’s name leading it 
was different, someway, from a quiet, baize-lined 
box, and no noise nor words. She doubted 
whether the cause had been materially helped 
by him. 

She lost some sentences of the story while she 
planned ways for interesting her father and se- 
curing liberal donations from him ; and then she 
was suddenly startled back to personality by 
hearing some astounding statements from the 
reader. 


Flossy at School . 


183 


“ It would be so easy to drop into a household 
box the price of an apple, or a paper, or a glass 
of peanuts, and yet who does it? Why, there 
are young ladies who will actually not give two 
cents a week from the money that they waste ! ” 

The rich blood mounted in waves to Flossy’s 
forehead. Apples and papers were not in her 
line, but peanuts ! wasn’t there a certain stand 
which she passed almost daily on her way down 
town, and did she ever pass it without indulging 
in a glass of peanuts? Neither was that the 
end. Why, once started on that list, and her 
wastes were almost numberless. How fond she 
was of cream dates, and how expensive they 
were ; and oranges, the tempting yellow globes 
were always shining at her from certain windows 
as she passed. 

Oh, they were just endless, her temptations 
and her falls in that direction — only who had 
ever supposed that there was any harm in this 
lavish treatment of herself and of any friends 
whom she happened to meet ? Yet it was true 
that she had never given any money at all to the 
work of sending the Bible to those who are 
without it. 


184 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

“ They will not give two cents a week,* said 
Mrs. Miller. It was true: she had not given 
“ two cents a week,” or even two cents a year 
— she had simply ignored the existence of such 
a need for money. True, she had not been a 
Christian ; but she was surprised to see how lit- 
tle this refuge served her. 

“ I have been a human being,” she told her- 
self, with a flush on her face, “ and I ought to 
have had sufficient interest in humanity to have 
wanted those poor creatures civilized.” 

But there was another thrust preparing for 
Flossy. The reader presently touched upon one 
item of expenditure common to ladies, namely, 
kid gloves ; and made the bewildering state- 
ment that economy in this matter, to the degree 
that needless purchases should be avoided, would 
treble the fund In the missionary treasury ! It 
could not be that from among that sea of faces 
the speaker had singled out Flossy Shipley, and 
yet that is the way it seemed to her. If there 
was any one expense which stood out glaringly 
above another in her list of luxuries it was kid 
gloves. They must be absolutely immaculate as 
to quality, shade and fit, and she remorselessly 


Flossy at School . 


185 


consigned them to the waste-bag at the first hint 
of rip or change of color. How strange that 
Mrs. Miller should have pitched upon just that 
item, and what an amazing declaration to make 
concerning it ! 

It was very strange, had any one been looking 
on to observe it, the manner in which this young 
girl was being educated. It is doubtful if a 
whole year of church work in the regular home 
routine, listening to the stated, statistical sermon 
of her pastor, that sermon which presupposes so 
much more knowledge than people possess, would 
have begun to do for Flossy what the strange, 
fanciful, pungent story of “ Fair Haven ” did. 

Be fore that hour was closed she had settled 
within her resolute little heart a plan that should 
henceforth put her in close communion and sym- 
pathy with mission work — not exactly the plans 
of operation, except that kid gloves and peanuts 
tock stern places in the background, but this 
wa 5 simply the foundation for a resolute system 
of Education, carried all through her future life. 

AHiat a pity it seems sometimes that people 
<?' \ not read the hearts and watch the springs of 


186 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


action of those around them. If Mrs. Miller, as 
she closed her paper and moved away from the 
platform, could have seen the earnest purpose 
glowing and throbbing in Flossy’s heart, and 
have known that it was born of words of hers, 
what a glad and thankful heart would she have 
carried back to her tent ! 

Also, if the much troubled pastor at home 
could have taken peeps into the future and seen 
what Flossy Shipley’s resolves would do for 
Missions, how glad he would have been I 

Perhaps it would be better to lay all the 
troubles and the tangles down in the Hand that 
overrules it all, and say, in peace and restful- 
ness, “ He knoweth the end from the beginning.’ 





CHAPTER XIII. 

“CROSS PURPOSES . 99 

- HEN people start out with the express 
Ijf design of having a good time, irrespec- 
tive of other people’s plans or feelings — in short, 
with a general forgetfulness of the existence of 
others — they are very likely to find at the close 
of the day that a failure has been made. 

It did not take the entire day to convince 
Eurie Mitchell that Chautauqua was not the 
synonym for absolute, unalloyed pleasure. You 
will remember that she detached herself from 
her party in the early morning, and set out to 
find pleasure, or, as she phrased it, “ fun.” She 
imagined them to be interchangeable terms. She 

had not meant to be deserted, hut had hoped to 

( 187 ) 


188 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

secure Ruth for her companion, she not havujg 
the excuse of wishing to report the meetings 
to call her to them. Failing in her, in case she 
should have a fit of obstinacy, and choose to at- 
tend the meetings, Eurie counted fully 7 ' upon 
Flossy as an ally. Much to her surprise, and no 
little to her chagrin, Flossy proved decidedly the 
more determined of the two. No amount of 
coaxing — and Eurie even descended to the em- 
ployment of that weapon — had the least effect. 
To be sure, Flossy presented no more powerful 
argument than that it did not look well to come 
to the meeting and then not attend it. But she 
carried her point and left the young searcher for 
fun with a clear field. 

Now fun rarely comes for the searching ; it is 
more likely to spring upon one unawares. So, 
though Eurie walked up and down, and stared 
about her, and lost herself in the labyrinths of 
the intersecting paths, and tore her dress in a 
thicket, and caught her foot in a bog, to the 
great detriment of shoe and temper, she still 
found not what she was searching for. Several 
times she came in sight of the stand ; once oi 
twice in sound of the speaker’s voice ; but hav- 


“Cross Purposes .” 


189 


-ig so determinately carried her point in the 
morning, she did not choose to abandon her po- 
sition and appear among the listeners, though 
sorely tempted to do so. She wandered into 
several side tents in hope of finding something 
to distract her attention ; but she only found 
that which provoked her. 

In one of them a young lady and gentleman 
were bending eagerly over a book and talking 
earnestly. They were interesting looking peo- 
ple, and she hovered near, hoping that she had 
at last found the “ children ” who would “ play ” 
with her — a remembrance of one of her nursery 
stories coming to her just then, and a ludicrous 
sense of her resemblance to the truant boy who 
spent the long, bright day in the woods search- 
ing for one not too busy to play. 

But these two were discussing nothing of 
more importance than the lesson for the coming 
Sabbath ; and though she hovered in their vicin- 
ity for some time, she caught only stray words 
— names of places in the far away Judean land, 
that seemed to her like a name in the Arabian 
Nights ; or an eager dissertation on the different 
views of eminent commentators on this or that 


IbO flour Crirls at Chautauqua. 

knotty point; and so engrossed were they in 
their work that they bestowed on her only the 
slightest passing glance, and then bent over their 
books. 

She went away in disgust. At the next tent 
half a dozen ladies were sitting. She halted 
there. Here at last were some people who, like 
herself, were bored with this everlasting meet- 
ing, and had escaped to have a bit of gossip. 
Who knew but she might creep into the circle 
and find pleasant acquaintances ? So she drew 
nearer and listened a moment to catch the sub- 
ject under discussion. She heard the voice of 
prayer ; and a nearer peep showed her that 
every head was bowed on the seat in front, and 
one of the ladies, in a low voice, was asking for 
enlightenment on the lesson for the coming Sab- 
bath ! 

“ What wonderful lesson can it be that is so 
fearfully important ?” she muttered, as she 
plunged recklessly into the mud and made hei 
way in all haste up the hill without attempting 
any more tents. “ Who ever heard such an ado 
made about a Sunday-school lesson? These 
people all act as though there was nothing of any 


“ Cross Purposes. 


191 


consequence anywhere but Sunday-schools. 1 
guess it is the first time that such a furor was 
ever gotten up over teaching a dozen verses to a 
parcel of children. I wonder if the people at 
home ever make such a uproar about the lesson ? 
I know some teachers who own up, on the way 
to church, that they don’t know where the lesson 
is. This must be a peculiar one. I wonder how 
I shall contrive to discover where it is? The 
girls won’t know, of course. With all their 
boasted going to meeting they know no more 
about lessons than I do myself. I would really 
like to find out. I mean to ask the next person 
1 meet. It will be in accordance with the fashion 
of the place. Think of my walking down 
Broadway of a sunny morning and stopping a 
stranger with the query, ‘ Will you tell me where 
the lesson is, please ? ’ ” And at this point Eurie 
burst into a laugh over the absurdity of the 
picture she had conjured. 

“ But this is not Broadway,” she said a mo- 
ment afterward, “ and I mean to try it. Here 
comes a man who looks as if he ought to know 
everything. I wonder who he is ? I’ve seen his 
face a dozen times since I have been here. He 


i92 Tour Girls at Chautauqua . 

led the singing yesterday. Perhaps he knows 
nothing but sing. They are not apt to ; but his 
face looks as though he might have a few other 
ideas. -Anyway, I’ll try him, and if he knows 
nothing about it, he will go away with a con- 
fused impression that I am a very virtuous 
young lady, and that he ought to have known 
all about it ; and who knows what good seed 
may be sown by my own wicked hand ? ” 

Whereupon she halted before the gentleman 
who was going with rapid strides down the hill, 
and said, in her clearest and most respectful 
tone : 

“ Will you be so kind as to tell me where the 
lesson for next Sabbath commences? I have 
forgotten just where it is.” 

There was no hesitation, no query in his face 
as to what she was talking about, or uncertainty 
as to the answer. 

“ It is the fifth chapter, from the fifth to the 
fifteenth verse,’ he said, glibly. “ All fives, you 
see. Easy to remember. It is a grand lesson. 
Hard to teach, though, because it is all there 
Are you a teacher for next Sunday ? You must 
come to the teachers’ meeting to-morrow morn 


“ Cross Purposes 


193 


ing; you will get good help there. Glorious 
meeting, isn’t it ? I’m so glad you are enjoying 
it.” And away he went. 

Every trace of ill-liumor had vanished from 
Eurie’s face. Instead, it was twinkling witl. 
laughter. 

“ The fifth chapter and fifteenth verse ” of 
what ? Certainly she had no more idea than the 
birds had who twittered above her head. How 
entirely certain he had been that of course she 
knew the general locality of the lesson. She a 
teacher and coming to the teachers’ meeting for 
enlightenment as to how to teach the lesson ! 

“ I wonder who he is ? ” she said again, as 
these thoughts flashed through her brain, and, 
following out the next impulse that came to her, 
she stopped an old gentleman who was walking 
leisurely down, and said, as she pointed out her 
late informant : 

“ What is that man’s name, please ? I can’t 
recall it.” 

“That,” said the old gentleman, “is Prof. 
Sherwin, of Newark. Have you heard him 
sing? ” 

“Yes.” 


194 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

“ Well, that is worth hearing ; and have you 
heard him talk ? ” 

“ No.” 

‘‘Well, he can talk; you will hear him, and 
enjoy it, too ; see if you don’t. But I’ll tell you 
what it is, young lady, to know him thoroughly 
you ought to hear him pray ! There is the real 
power in a man. Let me know how a man can 
pray and I’ll risk his talking.” 

Eurie had got much more information now 
than she had asked for. She ventured on no 
more questions, but made all haste to her tent, 
where, seated upon a corner of the bed, one foot 
tucked under her while the unfortunate shoe 
tried to dry, she sewed industriously on the zig- 
zag tear in her dress, and tried to imagine what 
she could do next. Certainly they had long 
days at Chautauqua. “ I shall go to meeting 
this afternoon,” she said, resolutely, “if they 
have three sermons, each an hour long; and 
what is more, I shall find out where that Sun- 
day-school lesson is.” 

The next thing she did was to write a letter 
to her brother Nellis, a dashing boy two years 
her senior and her favorite companion in her 


19.' 


“ Cross Purposes,'* 

search for pleasure. Here is a copy of the let- 
ter : 


“Dear Nel: I wish you were here. Chau- 
tauqua isn’t so funny as it might be. There are 
some things that are done here continually. In 
the first place, it rains. Why, you never saw 
anything like it ! It just can’t help it. The 
sun puts on a bland face and looks glowing in- 
tentions, and while you are congratulating your 
next neighbor on the prospect, she is engaged 
in clutching frantically after her umbrella to 
save, her hat from the first drops of the new 
shower. Next, they have meetings, and there is 
literally no postponement on account of the 
weather. It is really funny to see the way in 
which the people rush when the bell rings, rain 
or shine. Nel, only think of Flossy Shipley go- 
ing in the rain to hear a man preach of the “ In- 
fluence of the Press,” or something of that sort 1 
It was good though, worth hearing. I went 
myself, because, of course, one must do some- 
thing, and the frantic fashion of the place is to 
go to meeting. At the same time I don’t un- 
derstand Flossy : she is different from what she 


196 Four Grirh at Chautauqua. 

ever was at home. I suppose it is the force of 
the many shining examples all around her. You 
know she always was a good little sheep about 
following somebody’s lead. 

“ Marion is reporting, and has to be indus- 
trious. She is queer, Nel ; she professes infidel- 
ity, you know ; and you have no idea how mad 
she gets over anything that seems to be casting 
reproach on Christianity (unless indeed she sa} r s 
it herself, which is often enough, but then she 
seems to think it is all right). 

“ Ruth keeps on the even tenor of her way. 
It would take an earthquake to move that girl. 

“ I have had the greatest fun this morning. I 
have been mistaken for a Sabbath-school teacher 
who had the misfortune to forget at what verse 
her lesson commenced I You see I was cultiva- 
ting new acquaintances, and a Prof. Sherwin 
gave me good advice. That and some other 
things aroused my curiosity concerning that 
same lesson, and I am going to find out where 
it is. 

“ Did you know that Sunday-school lessons 
were such remarkable affairs ? The one for 
next Sunday must comprise the most wonderful 


“ Cross Purposes. 


197 


portion of Scripture that there is, for hundreds 
of people on these grounds are talking about it, 
and 1 stumbled upon a party of ladies this morn- 
ing who were actually praying over it ! 

“ Another thing I overheard this morning, 
which is news to me, that all the world was at 
work on the same lesson. That is rather fasci- 
nating, isn’t it, to think of so many hundreds 
and thousands of people all pitching into the 
same verses on Sunday morning? It is quite 
sentimental, too, or capable of being made so, 
for instance, by a great stretch of your imagina- 
tion. Suppose you and me to be very deal 
friends, separated by miles of ocean we will say, 
and both devoted Sabbath-school teachers, isn’t 
that a stretch now? Such being the astonishing 
case, wouldn’t it be pleasant to be at work on 
the same lesson ? Don’t you see ? Lets play do 
it. You look up the lesson for next Sabbath 
and so will I. Won’t that have all the charm 
of novelty? Then give me the benefit of youi 
ideas acquired on that important subject, and I’ll 
do the same to you. Really, the more I think 
of it the more the plan delights me. 1 wonder 
how you will carry it out? Shall you go to 


198 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

Sunday-school? What will the dear Doctoi 
say if he sees you walk into his Bible-class ? 1 

really wish I were there to enjoy the sensation. 
Meantime I’m going to look up an altogether 
wonderful teacher for myself, and then for com- 
paring notes. My spirits begin to rise, they 
have been rather damp all the morning, but I 
see fun in the distance. 

“ We are to have a sensation this afternoon in 
the shape of a troupe of singers called the Ten- 
nesseeans — negroes, you know, and they are to 
give slave-cabin songs and the like. I expect to 
enjoy it thoroughly, but you ought to see Ruth 
curl her aristocratic nose at the thought. 

“ ‘ Such a vulgar idea ! and altogether inappro- 
priate to the occasion. She likes to see things 
in keeping. If it is a religious gathering let 
them keep it such, and not introduce negro min- 
strels for the sake of calling a low crowd to- 
gether, and making a little more money.’ 

“Marion, too, shoots arrows from her sharp 
tongue at it, but she rather enjoys the idea, just 
as she does every other thing that she chooses to 
call inconsistent when she happens to be the 
one to discover it ; but woe to the one who com 
ments on it further than she chooses to tro 


“ Cross Purposes. 


199 


“Flossy and I now look with utmost tolera- 
tion on the dark element that is to be intro- 
duced. I tell Ruth that I am really grateful to 
the authorities for introducing something that a 
person of my limited capacities can appreciate, 
and Flossy, with her sweet little charitable voice, 
has “ no doubt they will choose proper things to 
sing.” That little mouse is really more agreea- 
ble than she ever was in her life ; and I am 
amazed at it, too. I expected the dear baby 
would make us all uncomfortable with her Uni- 
fied whims ; but don’t you think it is our loft} 
Ruth who is decidedly the most disagreeable of 
our party, save and except myself I ” 

This interesting epistle was brought to a sud- 
den close by an interruption. A gentleman 
came with rapid steps, and halted before her 
tent door, which was tied hospitably back. 

“I beg pardon,” he said, speaking rapidlv, 
“but this is Miss Rider?” 

“ It is not,” Eurie answered, with promptness 
at which information he looked surprised and be 
wildered. 

“Isn’t this her tent? I am sorry to trout)]* 


200 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

you, but I have been sent in haste for her. She 
is wanted for a consultation, and I was told I 
would find her here. Perhaps I might leave a 
message with you for her ? ” 

“It certainly isn’t her tent,” Eurie said, try- 
ing to keep down the desire to laugh, “and 1 
haven’t the least idea where she is. I should 
be glad to give her your message if I could, but 
I never saw the lady in my life, and have no 
reason to expect that pleasure.” 

Whereupon her questioner laughed outright. 

“ That is a dilemma,” he said. “ I appreciate 
your feelings, for I am precisely in the same po- 
sition ; but the lady was described minutely to 
me, and I certainly thought 1 had found her. I 
am sorry to have interrupted you,” and he bowed 
himself away. 

A new curiosity seized upon Eurie — the de- 
sire to see Miss Rider. “She must be one of 
them,” she soliloquized, falling into Flossy’s way 
of speaking of the workers at Chautauqua. “ He 
said she was wanted for a consultation. I won- 
der if she can be one of those who are to take 
part in the primary exercises? She must be 
young for such prominent work if she looks like 


“ Cross Purposes” 


;oi 


me ; but how could he know that since he never 
saw her ? It is very evident that I am to go to 
Sunday-school next Sabbath anyhow, if I never 
did before, for now I have two items of interest 
to look up — a lesson that is in the ‘ fifth chapter, 
from the fifth to the fifteenth verse of something 
and a being called 4 Miss Rider.’ ” So thinking 
she hastily concluded and folded her letter, ready 
for the afternoon mail, without a thought or care 
as to the seed that she had been sending away in 
it, or as to the fruit it might bear; without the 
slightest insight into the way she was being led 
through seeming mistakes and accidents up to a 
point that was to influence all her future. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE NEW LESSON. 

jURIE turned her pillow, thumped the 
scant feathers into little heaps, and gave 
a dismal groan as she laid her head back on it. 

“ It is very queer,” she said, “ that as soon as 
ever I make up my mind to be orthodox, and go 
to meeting every time the bell rings, I should be 
dumped into a heap on this hard bed with the 
headache. I haven’t had a touch of it before.” 

44 4 The way of transgressors is hard,’ ” quoted 
Marion, going on calmly with her writing. 44 If 
you hadn’t taken that horrid tramp yesterday 
instead of going to meeting like a Christian, you 
would have been all right to-day.” 

44 1 believe you sit up nights to read your Bi- 
( 202 ) 


The New Lesson. 


203 


ble, so as to have verses to fling at people who 
are overtaken in any possible trial or inconven- 
ience. You always have them ready. Didn’t 
you bring it with you, and don’t you prepare a 
list for each day’s use ? ” This was Eurie’s half 
merry, half petulant reply to the Bible verse that 
had been “ flung ” at her. 

Marion carefully erased a word that seemed to 
her fastidious taste too inexpressive before she 
answered : 

“ I don’t own such an article as a Bible, my 
child ; so your suspicions are entirely unfounded. 
My early education was not defective in that re- 
spect, however, and I confess that I find many 
verses that seem to very aptly describe the ways 
of sinful mortals like yourself.” 

Eurie raised herself on one elbow, regardless 
of headache and the cloth wet in vinegar that 
straightway fell off. 

“ You don’t own a Bible I ” she said, in utter 
surprise, and with a touch of actual dismay in her 
voice. 

“ I am depraved tc that degree, my dear little 
saint. I conclude that you are more devoutly 
inclined, and have one of your own. Pray how 
many chapters a day do you read in it 9 ” 


204 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

Eurie lay down again, and Flossy came with 
the vinegar cloth and bound it securely on her 
forehead. 

“ I don’t read in it very often, to be sure,” 
Eurie murmured. “ In fact I suppose I may as 
well say that I never do. But then I own one, 
and always have. I am not a heathen ; and 
really and truly it seems almost queer not to 
have a Bible of one’s own. It is a sort of mark 
of civilization, you know.” 

Marion laughed good-naturedly. 

“ I never make a great deal of pretense in that 
line,” she said, gayly. “ As for being a heathen, 
that is only a relative term. According to Dr. 
Calkins, they were more or less in advance of 
us. I am one of the ‘ advanced ’ sort. Ruth, 
your toilet ought to be nearly completed ; I hear 
that indefatigable bell.” 

“ You are very foolish not to go this morning 
and let your writing wait. W e shall be certain 
to have something worth listening to ; it is a 
strange time to select for absence.” This was 
Ruth’s quiet answer, as she pinned her lace ruf- 
fle with a gleaming little diamond. 

“ ‘ Diligent in business.’ There is another 


The New Lesson. 


205 


Terse for you, my heathen,” Marion said, with a 
merry glance toward Eurie. “ When you get 
home and get the dust of years swept off from 
your Bible, you take a look at it, and see if I 
have not quoted correctly. And a good, sensi- 
ble verse it is. I have found ic the only way in 
which to keep my head above water. Ruthie, 
the trouble is not with me, it lies with those 
selfish and obstinate newspaper men. If they 
would have the sense to let their papers wait 
over another day I could go to the lecture this 
morning. As it is, I am a victim to their indif- 
ference. If I miss a blessing the sin will be at 
their door, not mine.” 

Eurie opened her heavy eyes and looked at 
Flossy. 

“ Come,” she said, “ don’t stand there mop- 
ping me in vinegar any longer. Are you 
ready? Iam really disappointed. I’ve always 
wanted to hear that man. I want to tell Nel 
about him.” 

Flossy washed her hands, shook back the yel- 
low curls with an indifferent and preoccupied 
air, and went to the door to wait for Ruth. She 
had taken no part in the war of words that 


.206 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

had been passing between Marion and Eurie, 
but she had heard. And like almost everything 
else that she heard during these days, it had 
awakened a new thought and desire. Flossy 
was growing amazed at herself. It seemed to 
her that she must have spent her seven- 
teen years of life taking long naps, and this 
Chautauqua was a stiff breeze from the ocean 
that was going to shake her awake. The 
special thought that had dashed itself at her 
this morning was that she, too, had no Bible. 
Not that she did not own one, elegantly done in 
velvet and clasped in gold, so effectually clasped 
that it had been sealed to her all her life. She 
positively had no recollection of having ever sat 
down deliberately to read the Bible. She had 
“ looked over ” occasionally in school, but even 
this service of her eyes had been fitful and indif- 
ferent ; and as for her head paying any sort of 
attention to the reading, it might as well have 
been done in Greek instead of French, which 
language she but dimly comprehended even 
when she tried. But now she ought to have a 
Bible. She ought not to wait for that velvet 
covered one. A whole week in which to find 


The New Lesson. 


207 


what some of her orders were, and no way in 
which to find them. Of course she could buy 
one, but how queer it would seem to be going to 
the museum to make a purchase of a Bible I 
“ They will wonder why I did not bring my own,” 
she murmured, with that life-long deference that 
she had educated herself to pay to the “ they ” 
who composed her world. And in another instance 
the new-born feeling of respect and independence 
asserted itself. “ I can’t help that,” she said, 
positively, shaking her curls with a determined 
air ; “ and it really makes no difference what 
anybody thinks. Of course I must have a Bible, 
and I, only wish I had it for this morning, I shall 
certainly get one the first opportunity.” Then 
she turned and said “ good-morning ” to the 
pretty little lady who occupied the tent next 
door, and between whom and herself a pleasant 
acquaintance was springing up. 

“ Are you going to the lecture ? ” Flossy, 
asked and the small lady shook her head, with a 
wistful air. 

“ Dear me, no ! My young tyrant wouldn’t 
consent to that. I meant to take him down 
with me and try him, but he has gone to sleep; 


208 


Four Grirls at Chautauqua . 


and it is just as well, for he would have been 
certain to want to do all the talking. He has 
no idea that there is any one in the country who 
knows quite as much as he does.” It was said 
in a half complaining tone, but underneath it 
was the foundation of tender pride, that showed 
her to be the vain mother of the handsome ty- 
rant. Still it seemed to be Flossy’s duty to con- 
dole with her. 

“You miss most of the meetings, do you 
not?” 

“ Three-fourths of them. You see it is incon- 
venient to have a husband who is reporter for 
the press, and who must be there to hear. It is 
only when he must write up his notes for publi- 
cation that I can get a chance ; and even then, 
unless it is baby’s sleepy time, it does me no 
good. I am especially sorry this morning, for 
Dr. Cuyler used to be my pastor. He married 
me one summer morning just like this, and I 
haven’t laid eyes on him since. I should like to 
hear his voice again, but it can't be done.” 

Now who would have imagined that, with all 
the powers that were bestirring themselves to 
come to Flossy’s education, it would have been 


The New Lesson. 


209 


a osy, crowing baby, in the. unconsciousness of 
a morning nap, that should have given her her 
first lesson in unselfishness ? Yet he was the very 
one. It flashed over Flossy in an instant from 
some source. Who was so likely to have sug- 
gested it as the sweet angel who hovered over 
the sleeping darling ? 

“ Oh, Mrs. Adams, let me stay with baby, and 
you go to hear Cuyler. It is a real pity that you 
should miss him, when he is associated with your 
life in this way. I never saw him , and though, 
of course, I should like to, yet I presume there 
will be opportunities enough. 1 will be as care- 
ful of baby as if he were my grandson ; and if 
he wakens I will charm him out of his wits, so 
that it will never occur to him to cry.” 

Of course there was demurring, and profuse 
expressions of thanks and declinatures all in a 
breath. But Flossy was so winning, so eager, 
so thoroughly in earnest ; and the little Mrs. 
Adams did so love her old pastor, and did feel 
so anxious to see him again, that in a very short 
time she was beguiled into going in all haste ic 
her tent to make a “ go-to-meeting ” toilet ; and 
& blessed tiling it was that that sentence does not 


210 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

mean at Chautauqua what it does in Buffalo, oi 
Albany, or a few other places, else Dr. Cuyler 
might have slipped from them before the neces- 
sary articles were all in array. It involved sim- 
ply the twitching off of a white apron, the settling 
of a pretty sun hat — for the sun actually shone l 

— and the seizure of a waterproof, needed, if she 
found a seat, to protect her from the damp boards 

— needed in any case, because in five minutes it 
might rain — and she was ready. 

Ruth came to the door. 

“Come, Flossy,” she said; “where in the 
world are you? We shall be late.” And said 
it precisely as though she had been waiting for 
that young person for half an hour. 

Flossy emerged from the adjoining tent. 

“ I am not going.” she said. “ I have turned 
nurse-girl, and have the sweetest little baby in 
here that ever grew. Mrs. Adams is goinginmy 
place. Mrs. Adams, Miss Erskine.” 

And as those two ladies walked away together 
Mrs. Adams might have been heard to say : 

“ What a lovely, unselfish disposition your 
friend has ! It was so beautiful in her to take 
me bo by storm this morning I I am afraid I was 


The JSew .Lesson . 


211 


very selfish ; which is apt to be the case, I thick, 
when one comes in contact with actual unselfish 
ness. It is one of the Christian graces that is 
very hard to cultivate, anyway ; don’t you think 
so ? ” 

Ruth was silent; not from discourtesy, but 
from astonishment. It was such a strange ex- 
perience to hear any one speak of Flossy Shipley 
as “ unselfish.” In truth she had grown up un- 
der influences that had combined to foster the 
most complete and tyrannical selfishness — exer- 
cised in a prett}', winning sort of way, but rooted 
and grounded in her very life. So indeed was 
Ruth’s ; but she , of course, did not know that, 
though she had clear vision for the mote in 
Flossy’s eyes. 

Meantime Marion had staid her busy pen and 
was biting the end of it thoughtfully. The 
two tents were such near neighbors that the lat- 
ter conversation and introduction had been dis- 
tinctly heard. She glanced around to the girl 
on the bed. 

“ Eurie,” she said, “ are you asleep, or are you 
enjoying Flossy’s last new departure ? ” 

Eurie giggled. 


212 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

“ T heard,” she said. “ The lazy little mouse 
has slipped out of a tedious hour, and has a 
chance to lounge and read a pleasant novel. I 
dare say the mother is provided with them.” 

Then Marion, after another thoughtful pause : 

“ But, my child, how do you account for the 
necessity of going to the neighbors and taking 
the supervision of a baby in order to do that ? 
Flossy need not have gone to church if she 
didn’t choose.” 

“ Yes she need. Don’t you suppose the child 
can see that it is the fashion of the place ? She 
is afraid that it wouldn’t look well to stay in the 
tent and lounge, without an excuse for doing so. 
If that girl could only go to a place where it was 
the fashion for all the people to be good, she 
would be a saint, just because ‘ they ’ were.” 

“ She would have to go to heaven,” muttered 
Marion, going on with her writing. 

“ And, according to you, there is no such 
place ; so there is no hope for her, after all. Oh, 
dear ! I wonder if you are right, and nothing is 
of any consequence, anyhow ? ” And the weary 
girl turned on her pillow and tried not to think, 
an effort that was hard to accomplish after a 
week’s experience at Chautauqua. 


The New Lesson. 


213 


Flossy sat herself down beside the sleeping 
darling, and cast about her for something to 
amuse or interest, her eyes brightening into 
beauty as she recognized a worn and torn copy 
of the Bible. Eurie would have been surprised 
to see the eagerness with which she seized upon 
the book that was to afford her entertaiment. 
She turned the leaves tenderly, with a new 
sense of possession about her. This Bible was a 
copy of letters that had been written to her — 
words spoken, many of them, by Jesus himself. 
Strange that she had so little idea what they 
were ! Marion, with her boasted infidel notions, 
knew much more about “ The Book ” than 
Flossy with her nominal Christian education 
and belief. She had no idea where to turn or 
what to look for to help her. Yet she turned 
the leaves slowly, with a delicious sense of hav- 
ing found a prize a — book of instructions, a 
guide book for her on this journey that she was 
just beginning to realize that she was taking. 
Somewhere within it she would find light and 
help. The book was one that had been much 
used, and had a fashion of opening of itself at 
certain places that might have been favorites 


214 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

with the little mother. At one of those places 
Flossy halted and read: “‘After this there was 
a feast of the Jews.’ After what, I wonder ? ” she 
said within herself. She knew nothing about 
it. “ Never mind, I will see pretty soon. This 
is about a feast where Jesus was. And Jesus 
went up to Jerusalem.” Oh, how nice to have 
been there, wherever that was.” The ignorant 
little thing had not the least idea where Jerusa- 
lem was, except that it was in that far away, 
misty Holy Land, that had seemed as vague and 
indefinite to her as the grave or as heaven. But 
there came suddenly to her heart a certain 
blessed analogy. 

“ If I were going to write an account of my 
recent experiences to some dear friend that I 
wanted to tell it to,” she said, talking still to 
herself, or to the sleeping baby, “ I would write 
it something like this : ‘ After this ’ — That 
would mean ; let me see what it would mean. 
Why, after that party at home, when J danced 
all night and was sick. ‘ After this there was a 
feast of the Christian people at Chautauqua, and 
Jesus went there.’ I could certainly write that, 
for I have seen him and heard him speak in my 
very heart.” Then she went on, through the 


The New Lesson . 


215 


second verse to the third. “ ‘ In these lay a great 
multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, with- 
ered, waiting for the moving of the water,’ ” and 
here a great swell of tears literally blinded her 
eyes. It came to her so suddenly, so forcibly. 
The great multitude here at Chautauqua — 
blind. Yes, some of them. Was not she? 
How many more might there be? Many of 
whom she knew, others that she did not know, 
but that Jesus did. Waiting without knowing 
that they were waiti ig. With tears and smiles, 
and with a new great happiness throbbing at her 
heart, she read through the sweet, simple, won- 
derful story ; how the poor man met Jesus ; how 
he questioned; how the man complained; and 
how Jesus was greater than his infirmity. 
Through the whole of it, until suddenly she 
closed the book, her tears dried, and a solemn, 
wondering, almost awe-struck look on her face. 
She had got her lesson, her directions, her ex- 
ample. She could bear no more, even of the 
Bible, just then. She said it over, that startling 
verse that came to her with a whole volume of 
suggestion : “ ‘ And the man departed and told 
the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him 


whole : ” 



CHAPTER XV. 

GEEAT MEN. 

ERSKINE, with her skirts 
daintily around her, to avoid con- 
tact with the unclean earth, made her way skill 
fully through the crowd, and with the aid of a 
determined spirit and a camp-chair secured a 
place and a seat very near the stand. The little 
lady who timidly followed in her lead was not 
quite so fortunate, inasmuch as she had no 
camp-chair, and was less resolved in her deter- 
mination to get ahead of those who had arrived 
earlier; so she contented herself with a damp 
seat on the end of a board, which was vacated 
for her use by a courteous gentleman. 

Ruth, you must understand, was not selfish in 
( 216 ) 



G-reat Men. 


217 


this matter because she had planned to be, but 
simply because it had never occurred to her to 
be otherwise, which is one of the misfortunes 
that come to people who are educated in a self- 
ish atmosphere. Ruth Erskine had come to this 
meeting fully prepared to enjoy it. Dr. Cuyler 
was a star of sufficiert magnitude to attract her. 
During her frequent visits to New York she had 
heard much of but had never seen him. The 
people whom she visited were too elegant in 
their views and practices to have much in com- 
mon with the church which was so pronounced 
on the two great questions of religion and tem- 
perance. Yet, even with them, Dr. Cuyler and 
Dr. Cuyler’s great church were eccentricities to 
be tolerated, not ignored. Therefore Ruth had 
had it in her heart to enjoy listening to him 
sometime. The sometime had arrived. She 
had dressed herself with unusual care, a cere- 
mony which seemed to be quite in the back- 
ground among the people who were at home at 
Chautauqua. But someway it seemed to Ruth 
that the great Brooklyn pastor should receive 
this mark of respect at her hands ; so she had 
spent the morning at her toilet and was now a 
fashionable lady, fashionably attired for church. 


218 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

If the people who vouchsafed her a glance as 
she crowded past indulged, some of them, in a 
smile at her expense, and thought the simple 
temple made of trees and grasses an inappro- 
priate surrounding to her silken robes and costly 
lace mantle, she was none the wiser for that, 
you know, and took her seat, indifferent to them 
all, except that presently there stole over her 
the sense of disagreeable incongruity with her 
outdoor surroundings; so Satan had the pleasure 
of ruffling her spirits and occupying her thoughts 
with her rich brown silk dress instead of letting 
her heart be touched with the solemnity and 
beauty of the grand hymn which rolled down 
those long aisles. Satan has that everlasting 
weapon, “ What to wear, and what not to wear,” 
everlastingly at command and wonderfully un- 
der his control. But Ruth, in her way, was 
strong-minded and could control her thoughts 
when she chose ; so she presently shook off the 
feeling of annoyance and decided to give her- 
self up to the influences of the hour. 

By this time Dr. Cuyler appeared and was in- 
troduced. Ruth gave him the benefit of a very 
searching gaze, and decided that he was the very 


G-reat Men* 


219 


last man of all those on the platform whom she 
would have selected as the speaker. Probably 
if Dr. Cayler had known this, and known also 
that his personal presence entirely disappointed 
her, lie would not have been greatly discon- 
certed thereby. But his subject was. one that 
found an answering thrill in this young lady’s 
heart — “Some Talks I Have Had With Great 
Men.” Ruth liked greatness. In her calm, 
composed way she bowed before it. She would 
have enjoyed being great. Celebrity in a ma- 
jestic, dignified form would have been her de- 
light. She by no means admitted this, as Eurie 
Mitchell so often did. She by no means sought 
after it in the small ways within her reach. 
Small ways did not suit her ; they disgusted her. 
But if she could have flashed into splendid 
greatness, if by any amount of laborious study, 
or work, or suffering, she could have seen the 
way to world- wide renown she would have 
grasped for it in an instant. 

The next best thing to being renowned one’s 
self was to have renowned people for friends. 
This was another thing that Ruth coveted in si- 
lence. She wanted no one to know how ear* 


220 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

nestly she aspired to, sometime , making the ac- 
quaintance of some of the great people not — the 
vulgarly great, those who were in a sense, and 
in the eyes of a few, great because of the acci- 
dents of fortune and travel. She knew such by 
the scores. Indeed, she had been in circles 
many a time where she shone with that sort of 
greatness herself. Perhaps it was for that rea- 
son that it was such a despised height to her. 
But she meant the really great people of this 
world — people of power, people who moved tho 
masses by the force of their brains. Not one 
such had she ever met to look upon as an ac- 
quaintance ; and here was this man telling off 
the honored names by the score, and saying, 
“ My friend, Dr. Guthrie ” — “ My good friend, 
Thomas Carlyle ” — My dear brother, Newman 
Hall.” How would it seem to stand in intimate 
relationship with one single gifted mind like 
these, and was she destined ever to know by 
actual experience ? 

There was another reason why Ruth had de- 
sired to choose Dr. Cuyler to listen to rather 
than some other names on the programme, be- 
cause, from the nature of his subject, she had 


Great Men. 


221 


judged it most unlikely that he should have 
ibout him any arrows that would touch home to 
her. Not that she put it in that language ; she 
did not admit even to herself that any of the 
solemn words that had been spoken at Chautau- 
qua had reference to her ; and yet in a vague, 
fitful way she was ill at ease. 

She had moments of feeling that there was a 
reach of happiness possessed by these people of 
which she knew nothing. Little side thrusts 
had come to her from time to time in places 
where she least expected them. That question, 
asked by Flossy during her night of unrest, 
“ Should you be afraid to die ? ” hovered around 
this quietly poised young lady in a most unac- 
countable manner. All the more persistently 
did it cling because she could not shake it off 
with the thought that it was silly. Common 
sense told her that the strange, solemn shadow, 
which came so steadily after men, and so surely 
enveloped one after another among the grandest 
intellects that the world owned, was not a thing 
to pass over lightly. 

After all, why should she not be afraid of 
death ? Then that strange gentleman who had 


222 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

persisted in ranking her among the praying peo* 
pie ! he had left his shadow. Why did she not 
pray? She wondered over this in a vague sort 
of way ; wondered how it seemed to kneel down 
alone, and speak to an invisible presence ; won 
dered if those who so knelt always felt as 
though they were really speaking to God. 

There were times when Ruth was exceedingly 
disgusted with these perplexing thoughts, and 
wanted nothing so much as to get away from 
them. She resented this intrusion upon her 
quiet. This day was one of those in which she 
was impatient of all these things, and she had 
made her toilet with great satisfaction, and said 
within herself complacently: “We are to have 
one hour at last devoted to this mundane sphere 
and the mortals who inhabit it ; most of the 
time these Chautauquans talk and act as though 
earth was only a railroad station, where people 
changed cars and went on to heaven. Dr. Cuy- 
ler is going to refresh us with some actual living 
specimens of humanity. He can’t make a ser- 
mon out of that subject if he tries.” 

But Ruth Erskine had not measured the power 
of the earnest preachers of J esus Christ. As if 


G-reat Men . 


223 


Dr. Cuyler could talk for an hour to thousands 
of immortal souls, and leave Christ and heaven 
and immortality out. 

To Ruth these three words constituted a ser- 
mon, and she got them that day. Not that he 
had an idea that he was preaching Christ, except 
incidentally, as a man refers almost unconsciously 
to the one whom he loves best in all the world • 
but Ruth knew he was. It came in little sud- 
den touches when she least expected it, when 
heart and soul were wrought upon with some 
strong enthusiasm by the splendid picture of a 
splendid man — as when he told of Spurgeon. 
It was a glowing description, such as thrilled 
Ruth, and made her feel that to have just one 
glimpse of that great man, with his great mar- 
velous power over humanity, would be worth a 
lifetime. 

Suddenly the speaker said : “ The secret of 
chat man’s power lies, first, in his study of the 
Bible.” Ruth started and came down like a 
bomb-shell from her wondrous height. The 
Bible ! copies of which lay carelessly on every 
table of her father’s elegantly furnished house, 
unstudied and unthought of. How very strange 


224 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

to ascribe the power of the great intellect to the 
study of one book that was more or less familiar 
to every Sunday-school boy. “ Seoond, in short, 
simple, homely language.” Ruth smiled now. 
Dr. Cuyler was growing absurd, as if it were not 
the most common thing in the world to use sim- 
ple, homely language ! No Spurgeons could be 
manufactured in that wa} r , she was sure. “ Third, 
mighty earnestness to save souls.” Here was a 
point concerning which Ruth knew nothing. 

Dr. Cuyler’s manner put tremendous force 
into the forceful words, and carried conviction 
with them. She wondered how a really mighty 
earnestness to save souls made a man appear ? 
She wondered whether she had ever seen such a 
cae ; she went rapidly over the list of her ac- 
quaintances in the church. She smiled to her- 
self a sarcastic, contemputous smile ; she had met 
them all at parties, concerts, festivals, and the 
like ; she had seen them on occasions when noth- 
ing seemed to possess them but to have a good time 
like the rest of the world. 

Like the rest of the world, Ruth reasoned and 
decided from her chance meetings with the out- 
side life of these Christians, forgetting that she 


Great Men . 


225 


had never seen one of them in their closets be- 
fore God ; rather, she knew nothing about these 
closets, nor the experiences learned there, and 
could onty reason from outside life. This being 
the case, what a pity that her verdict of those 
lives should have called forth only that contempt- 
uous smile I Wandering off in this train of 
thought, she lost the speaker’s next point, but 
was called back by his solemn, ringing close. 

“ Put these together, melt them down with 
the love of Christ, and you have a Spurgeon. 
God be thanked for such a piece of hand work 
as he ! ” 

Another start and another retrospect. Bid she 
know any people who put these together ; who 
made a real, earnest, constant study of the Bible 
as school girls studied their Latin grammars, and 
who were really eager to save souls because they 
had the love of Christ in their hearts, and who 
said so in plain simple language ? “ Does he, I 

wonder ? ” she said to herself. “ I wonder if his 
sermons sound like that ? I should like to hear 
him preach just once. Oh, dear ! if he isn’t run- 
ning off to Moody and Sankey. It is a sermon 
after all ! ” 


226 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

On the whole, Ruth was disgusted. Her brain 
was in a whirl ; she was being compelled to hear 
sermons on every hand. She was sick of it. 
They had been great men of whom she had 
heard, and she admired them all ; she wanted 
the secret of their power, but she didn’t want it 
to be made out of such commonplace material as 
was in the hands of every child. She did not 
know what she wanted — only that she had come 
out to be entertained and to revel in her love of 
heroes, and she had been pinned down to the one 
thought that real men were made of those who 
found their power in their Bible and on their 
knees. 

The solemn, earnest, tender closing to this ad- 
dress did not lessen her sense of discomfort. Then 
just beside her was carried on a conversation 
that added to her annoyance. 

“They are big men,” a man said. He was 
dressed in a common business suit; his linen 
had not the exquisite freshness about it that her 
fastidious eyes delighted in ; his hands looked as 
though they might have been used to work that 
was rough and hard ; his straggling hair was 
sprinkled with gray, and there was not a striking 
feature about him. 


G-reat Men. 


227 


“They are big men,” he said, “and I’ve do 
doubt it is a big thing to know them, and talk 
with them, and have a friendly feeling for each, 
as if they belonged to him, but he knows a big- 
ger one than them, and the best of it is, so do 
we. The Lord Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, 
is not to be compared to common men like 
these.” 

And now Ruth’s lips curled utterly. She was 
an aristocrat without knowing it. She believed 
in Christianity, and in its power to save the 
poor and the commonest, but this insufferable 
assumption of dignity and superiority over the 
rest of the world, as she called it, was hateful to 
her in the extreme. It would have startled her 
exceedingly to have been told that she was 
angry with the man for presuming to place hi * 
Friend higher in the list of great ones than any of 
those given that day ; and yet such was actually 
her feeling. She swept her skirts angrily away 
from contact with the man, and spoke so crustily 
to the little lady who had come in her wake 
that she moved timidly away. 

J ust at her left were two gentlemen shaking 
hands. Both had been on the stand together 


228 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


she knew the faces of both, and one ranked just 
a trifle higher in her estimation than any one at 
Chautauqua. She edged a little nearer. She 
lived in the hope of making the acquaintance of 
some of these lights, just enough acquaintance 
to receive a bow and a clasp of the hand, though 
how one could accomplish it who was determined 
that her interest in them should neither be seen 
nor suspected, it would be hard to say ; but 
they were talking in eager, hearty tones, not at 
all as if their words were confidential — at least 
she might have the benefit of them. 

“ That was a capital lecture,” the elder of the 
two was saying. “ Cuyler has had great advan- 
tages in his life in meeting on a familiar footing 
so many of our great men. When you get 
thinking of these things, and of the many men 
whom you would like to know intimately, what 
is the thought that strikes you most forcibly ? ” 

“ That I am glad I belong to the 4 royal fam- 
ily,’ and have the opportunity of knowing inti- 
mately and holding close personal relations with 
Him who ‘ spake as never man spake.’ ” 

The other answered in a rare, rich tone of 
suppressed jubilance of feeling. 


Great Men . 


229 


14 Exactly J ” his friend said ; “ and when you 
can leave the fullness of that thought long 
enough tc take another, there is the looking for- 
ward to actual fellowship and communion not 
only with him, but with all these glorious men 
who are living here, and who have gone up yon- 
der.” 

Ruth turned abruptly away. The very 
thought that possessed the heart of the plain- 
looking man and that so annoyed her ; and these 
two, whom to know was an honor, were looking 
forward to that consummation as the height of 
it ail! 





CHAPTER XVI. 

A WAS OF WOED8. 


gether, and why should they not look forward 
to a companionship untrameled by earthly forms 
and conventionalities, and uncumbered by the 
body in its present dull and ponderous state ? 
What a chance to get into the best society ! the 
highest circle ! real best, too, not made up of 
money, or blood, or dress, or any of the flimsy 
and silly barriers that fenced people in and out 
now. Then at once she felt her own inconsist' 
ency in growing disgusted with the plainly- 
dressed, common-looking man. If he did really 

belong to that “ royal family,” why not rejoice 
( 230 ) 



ELL, why not ? ” she said, as she went 
slowly down the aisle. Of course all 
these people would be in heaven to- 


A War of Words, 


231 


over it ? Wasn’t she the foolish one ? She by 
no means liked these reflections, but she could 
not get away from them. 

“ How do you do ? ” said a clear, round voice 
behind her ; not speaking to her, but to some 
one whom he was very glad to see, judging from 
his tone. And the voice was peculiar ; she had 
been listening to it for an hour, and could not 
be mistaken ; it belonged to Dr. Cuyler him- 
self. She turned herself suddenly. Here was 
a chance for a nearer view, and to see who was 
being greeted so heartily. It was the little lady 
whose society had been thrust upon her that 
morning by Flossy. And they were shaking 
hands as though they were old and familiar ac- 
quaintances ! 

“ It is good to see your face again,” that same 
hearty voice which seemed to have so much good 
fellowship in it was saying. “ I didn’t know you 
were to be here ; I’m real glad to see you again, 
and what about the husband and the dear 
boy ? ” 

At which point it occurred to Miss Ruth Ers- 
kine that she was listening to conversation not 
designed for her ears. She moved away sud- 


Four Crirls at Chautauqua. 

denly, in no way comforted or sweetened as to 
her temper by this episode. Why should that 
little bit of an insignificant woman have the 
honor of such a cordial greeting from the great 
man, while he did not even know of her exist- 
ence ? 

To be sure, Dr. Cuyler had baptized and re- 
ceived into church fellowship and united in 
marriage the little woman with whom he was 
talking ; but Ruth, even if she had known these 
circumstances, was in no mood to attach much 
importance to them. 

She wandered away from the crowd down by 
the lake-side. She stopped at Jerusalem on her 
way, and poked her parasol listlessly into the 
sand of which the hills lying about that city 
were composed, and thought : 

“ What silly child’s play all this was ! How ab- 
surd to suppose that people were going to get 
new ideas by playing at cities with bits of painted 
board and piles of sand ! Even if they could get 
a more distinct notion of its surroundings, what 
difference did it make how Jerusalem looked, or 
where it stood, or what had become of the 
buildings?” 


A War of Words. 


23a 


This last, as it began dimly to dawn upon her, 
that it was useless to deny the fact that even 
such listless and disdainful staring as she had 
vouchsafed to this make-believe city had located 
it, as it had not been located before, in her 
brain. 

When she produced the flimsy question, 
“ What difference does it make ? ” you can see at 
once the absurd mood that had gotten possession 
of her, and you lose all your desire to argue with 
any one who feels as foolish as that. Neither 
had Ruth any desire to argue with herself ; she 
was disgusted with her mind for insisting on 
keeping her up to a strain of thought. 

“ A lovely place to rest I ” she said, aloud, and 
indignantly, giving a more emphatic poke with 
her parasol, and quite dislodging one of the 
buildings in Jerusalem. “ One’s brain is just 
kept at high pressure all the time.” 

Now, why this young lady’s brain should have 
been in need of rest she did not take the trouble 
to explain, even to herself. She sat herself 
down presently under one of the trees by the 
lake-side and gave herself up to plans. She was 
tired of Chautauqua ; of that she was certain. 


234 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

It sti-red her up, and the process was uncom- 
fortable. Her former composed life suited her 
taste better. She must get away. There was 
no earthly reason why she should not go at once 
to Saratoga. A host of friends were already 
there, and certain other friends would be only 
too glad to follow as soon as ever they heard of 
her advent in that region. Before she left that 
rustic settee under the trees she had the pro- 
gramme all arranged. 

“We will get through to-morrow as we best 
can,” she said, sighing over the thought that to- 
morrow being the Sabbath would perforce be 
spent there, “and then on Monday morning 
Flossy and I will just run away to Saratoga and 
leave those two absurd girls to finish their ab- 
surd scheme in the best way they can.” 

And having disposed of Flossy as though she 
were a bit of fashionable merchandise without 
any volition of her own, Ruth felt more com- 
posed and went at once to dinner. 

There came an astonishing interference to this 
planning, from no other than Flossy herself. To 
the utter amazement of each of the girls, she 
quietly refused to be taken to Saratoga ; nor did 


A War of Words. 


236 


she offer any other excuse for this astonishing 
piece of self-assertion than that she was having 
a good time and meant to finish it. And to this 
she adhered with a pertinacity that was very be* 
wildering, because it was so very new. Marion 
laughed over her writing, to which she had re- 
turned the moment dinner was concluded. 

“ That is right, Flossy ,” she said, “ I’m glad to 
see Chautauqua is having an effect of some sort 
on one of us. You are growing strong-minded ; 
mind isn’t a bad thing to have ; keep to yours. 
Ruth, I am astonished at you ; I shall have to 
confess that you are disappointing me, my child. 
Now, I rather expected this dear little bit of lace 
and velvet to give up, conquered, in less than a 
week, but I said to myself, 4 Ruth Erskine has 
pluck enough to carry her through a month of 
camp-life,’ and here you are quenched at the end 
of four days.” 

“ It isn’t the camp-life,” Ruth said, irritably. 
“ I am not so much a baby as to care about those 
things to such a degree that I can’t endure them, 
though everything is disagreeable enough ; but 
that isn’t the point at all.” 

Marion turned and looked at her curiously. 


236 


Four Girls at Chautauqua. 


“What on earth is the point then? What 
has happened to so disgust you with Chautau- 
qua?” 

“ The point is, that I am tired of it all. It is 
unutterably stupid ! I suppose I have a right 
to be tired of a silly scheme that ought never to 
have been undertaken, if I choose to be, have I 
not, without being called in question by any 
one ? ” 

And feeling more thoroughly vexed, not only 
with the girls, but with herself, than ever she re- 
membered feeling before, Ruth arose suddenly 
and sought refuge under the trees outside the 
tent. 

Marion maintained a puzzled silence. This 
was a new phase in Ruth’s character, and one 
hard to manage. 

Flossy looked on the point of crying. She 
was not used to crossing the wills of those who 
had influence over her, but she was very deter- 
mined as to one thing : she was not going to 
leave Chautauqua. 

“ Nothing could tempt me to go to Saratoga 
just now,” she said, earnestly. 

“ Why ? ” asked Marion, and receiving no 


A War of Word s. 


237 


answer at all felt that Flossy puzzled her as 
much as Ruth had done. However, she set her- 
self to work to restore peace. 

“ This letter is done,” she said, gayly, folding 
her manuscript. “It is a perfectly gushing ac- 
count of yesterday’s meeting, for some of which 
I am indebted to the Buffalo reporters ; for I 
have given the most thrilling parts where I 
wasn’t present. Now I’m going to celebrate. 
Come in, Ruth, we are of the same mind pre- 
cisely. I would gladly accompany you on the 
afternoon train to Saratoga with the greatest 
pleasure, were it not for certain inconveniences 
connected with my pocket-book, and a desire to 
replenish it by writing up this enterprise. But 
since we can’t go to Saratoga, let’s you and I go 
to Mayville. It is a city of several hundred in- 
habitants, six or eight, certainly, I should think ; 
and we can have an immense amount of fun out 
of the people and the sights this afternoon, and 
escape the preaching. I haven’t got to write an- 
other letter until Monday. Come, shall we take 
the three o’clock boat ? ” 

Neither of these young ladies could have 
told what possible object there could be in leav- 


238 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

ing the lovely woods in which they were camped 
and going off to the singularly quiet, uninterest- 
ing little village of Mayville, except that it was, 
as they said, a gettingaway from the preaching — 
though why two young ladies, with first-class 
modern educations, should find it so important 
to get themselves away from some of the first 
speakers in the country they did not stop to ex- 
plain even to themselves. However, the plan 
came to Ruth as a relief, and she unhesita- 
tingly agreed to it ; so they went their ways — 
Flossy to the afternoon meeting (since Eurie de- 
clared herself so far convalescent as to be en- 
tirely able to remain alone) and the two of the 
party who had prided themselves up to this 
time on their superiority of intellect down to the 
wharf to take the boat for Mayville. 

The ride thither on the lovely lake was almost 
enough to excuse them for their folly. But the 
question what to do with themselves afterward 
was one that burdened them during all that long 
summer afternoon. They went to the Mayville 
House and took a walk on the piazza, and the 
boarders looked at them in curiosity, and won- 
dered if it were really a pleasanter walk than 
the green field a nyer at Chautauqua. 


A War of Words. 


239 


They ordered dinner and ate it at the geueral 
tabic with great relish, Ruth rejoicing over thij 
return to civilized life. One episode of the table 
must be noted. Opposite them sat a gentleman 
who, either from something in their appearance, 
or more probably from the reasonable conclusion 
that all the strangers who had gathered at the 
quiet little village were in some way associated 
with the great gathering, addressed them as be- 
ing part of that great whole. 

“ You people are going to reap a fine harvest, 
pecuniarily, to-morrow ; but how about the 
fourth commandment ? You Christians lay great 
■tress on that document whenever a Sunday read- 
ing-room or something of that sort is being con- 
templated, don’t you ? ” 

The remark was addressed to both of them, 
but Ruth was too much occupied with the 
strangeness of the thought that she was again 
being counted among “ Christian people ” to 
make any answer. Not so Marion. Her eyes 
danced with merriment, but she answered with 
great gravity : 

“We believe in keeping holy the Sabbath day, 
of course. What has that to do with Chautau* 


240 


Four G-irh at Chautauqua. 


qua . Haven’t you consulted the programme 
and read : ‘ No admission at the gates or 

docks’?” 

The gentleman smiled incredulously. 

“ I have read it” he said, significantly, “ and 
doubtless many believe it implicitly. I hope 
their faith won’t be shaken by hearing the re- 
turns from tickets counted over in the even- 
ing.” 

There was a genuine flush of feeling on Mar- 
ion’s face now. 

“ Do you mean to say,” she asked, haughtily, 
“ that you have no faith in the published state- 
ment that the gates will be closed, or do you 
mean that the association have changed their 
minds ? Because if you have heard the latter, I 
can assure you it is a mistake, as I heard the mat- 
ter discussed by those in authority this very 
morning ; and they determined to adhere rigidly 
to the rules.” 

“ I have no doubt they will, so far as lies in 
their power,” the gentleman said, with an at- 
tempt at courtesy in* his manner. “But the 
trouble is, the thing is absurd on the face of it. 
If I hold a ticket for an entertainment, which 


A War of Words. 


241 


the Association have sold to me, it is none of 
their business on what day I present it, provided 
the entertainment is in progress. They have no 
right to keep me oat, and they are swindling me 
out of so much money if they do it.” 

“ You have changed your argument,” Marion 
said, with a flash of humor in her eyes. “ You 
were talking about the amount of money that 
the Association were to earn to-morrow, not the 
amount which you were to lose by not being al- 
lowed to come in. However, I am willing to 
talk from that standpoint. If you hold the sea - 
son ticket of the Association, and are stopping 
outside, you will be admitted, of course. It is 
held to be as reasonable a way to go to church 
as though you harnessed your horses at home 
and drove, on the Sabbath, to your regular place 
of worship. But you buy no ticket for the Sab- 
bath, and none is received from you ; and if you 
choose not to go, the Association neither makes 
nor loses by the operation, and, so far as money 
is concerned, is entirely indifferent which you 
decide to do. What fault can possibly be found 
with such an arrangement ? ” 

“Well,” said the gentleman, with a quiet pos 


242 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


itiveness of tone, “ I haven’t a season ticket, and 
I don’t mean to buy one, and I mean to go down 
there to meeting to-morrow, aud I expect to get 
in.” 

“ I dare say,” Marion answered, with glowing 
cheeks. “ The grounds are extensive, you know, 
and they are not walled in. I haven’t the least 
doubt but that hundreds can creep through the 
brush, and so have the gospel free. There is 
something about ‘he that climbeth up some 
other way being a thief and a robber ; ’ but, of 
course, the writer could not have had Chautau- 
qua in mind ; and even if it applies, it would be 
only stealing from an Association, which is not 
stealing at all, you know.” 

“You are hard on me,” the gentleman said, 
flushing in his turn, and the listeners, of whom 
there were many, laughed and seemed to enjoy 
the flashing of words. “ I have no intention of 
creeping or climbing in. I shall present the 
same sort of ticket which took me in to-day, and 
if it doesn’t pass me I will send you a dispatch 
to let you know, if you will give me your ad- 
dress.” 

“And if you do get in, and will let me know, 


A War of Words. 


1243 

I will report at once to the proper authorities 
that the gate-keepers have been unfaithful to 
their trust,” said Marion, triumphantly. 

“ But, my dear madam, what justice is there 
in that ? I have paid my money, and what 
business is it to them when I present my ticket ? 
That is keeping me out of my just dues.” 

u Oh, not a bit of it ; that is, if you can read, 
and have, as you admit, read their printed state- 
ment that you are not invited to the ground on 
Sunday. Your fifty-cent ticket will admit you 
on Monday. And you surely will not argue 
that the Association has not a right to limit the 
number of guests that it will entertain over the 
Sabbath ? ” 

“ Yes, I argue that it is their business to let 
me in whenever I present their ticket.” 

Marion laughed outright. 

“ That is marvelous ! ” she said. “ It is wicked 
for them to receive payment for your coming in 
on the Sabbath, and it is wicked for them not to 
let you in on your ticket. Really, I don’t see 
what the Association are to do. They are com- 
mitting sin either way it is put. I see no way 
out of it but to have refused to sell you any 


244 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

tickets at all. Would that have made it 
right?” 

The laugh that was raised over this innocently 
put question seemed to irritate her new ac- 
quaintance. He spoke hastily. 

“ It is a Sabbath-breaking concern, viewed in 
any light that you choose to put it. There is no 
sense in holding camp-meetings over the Sab- 
bath, and every one agrees that they have a de- 
moralizing effect.” 

“ Do you mean me to understand you to think 
that the several thousand people who are now 
stopping at Chautauqua will be breaking the 
Sabbath by going out of their tents to-morrow 
and walking down to the public service ? ” 

The bit of sophistry in this meekly put ques- 
tion was overlooked, or at least not answered, 
and the logical young gentleman asked : 

“ If they think Sabbath services in the woods 
,x> helpful, why are they not consistent? Let 
them throw the meeting open for all who wish 
to come, making the gospel without money and 
without price, as they pretend it is. Why isn’t 
that done ? ” 

“ Well, there are at least half a dozen reasons. 


A War of Word *. 


245 


I wonder you have not thought of one of them. 
In the first place, that, of course, would tempt 
to a great deal of Sabbath traveling, a thing 
which they carefully guard against now by re- 
fusing to admit all travelers. And in the sec- 
ond place, it would give the Chautauqua people 
a great deal to do in the way of entertaining so 
large a class of people. As it is, they have quite 
as much as they care to do to make comfortable 
the large company who belong to their family. 
And in the third place — But perhaps you do 
not care to hear all the reasons ? ” 

He ignored this question also, and went back 
to one of her arguments. 

“ They don’t keep travelers away at all, even 
by your own admission. What is to hinder 
hundreds of them from coming here to-day and 
buying season tickets in order to get in to-mor- 
row ? ” 

He had the benefit of a most quizzical glance 
then from Marion’s shining eyes before she an- 
swered. 

“ Oh, well, if the people are really so hunger- 
ing and thirsting for the gospel, as it is dis- 
pensed at Chautauqua, that they are willing to 


246 


Four Girls at Chautauqua. 


act a lie, by pretending that they are members 
who have been and are to be in regular attendance , 
and then are willing to pay two dollars and a 
half for the Sunday meeting, I don’t know but i 
think they ought to be allowed to creep ul 
D on’t you ? ” 




CHAPTER XVII. 



GETTING READY TO LIVE. 

^MID the laughter that followed this re- 
tort the company rose up from the table 
and went their various ways, to meet, perhaps, 
again. 

“ How on earth do you manage to keep so 
thoroughly posted in regard to Chautauqua af- 
fairs ? One would think you were the wife of 
the private secretary. I shouldn’t have known 
whether the gates were to be opened or closed 
to-morrow.” 

This from Ruth as the two girls paced the 
long piazza while waiting for the carriage which 
was to take them to the boat ; for, having ex- 
hausted the resources of Mayville for entertain- 
ment, they were about to return to Chautauqua. 

( 247 ) 


248 Four G-irls at Chautauqua . 

Marion laughed. 

“I’m here in the capacity of a newspaper 
writer, please remember,” she answered promptly, 
“ and what I don’t know I can imagine, like the 
rest of that brilliant fraternity. I am not really 
positive about a great many of the statements 
that I made, except on the general principle that 
these people belong to the class who are very 
much given to doing according to their printed 
word. It says on the circulars that the gates 
will be closed on the Sabbath, and I dare say 
they will be. At least, we have a right to as- 
sume such to be the case until it is proven 
false.” 

“ What class of people do you mean who are 
given to doing as they have agreed ? Christian 
people, do you refer to ? ” 

“Well, yes; the sort of Christians that one 
meets at such a gathering as this. As a rule* 
the namby-pamby Christians stay away from 
such places ; or, if they come, they float off to 
Saratoga or some more kindred climate. I beg 
your pardon, Ruthie, that doesn’t mean you, you 
know, because you are not one of any sirt.” 

“Then do you take it to be their religion 


Q-etting Ready to Live . 


249 


which inclines you to trust to their word, with- 
out having an individual acquaintance with 
them ? ” 

Marion shrugged her shoulders. 

“ Oh, bother ! ” she said, gayly, “ you are not 
turning theologian, or police detective in search 
of suspicious characters, are you ? I never pre- 
tend to pry into my notions for and against peo- 
ple and things ; if I was betrayed into anything 
that sounded like common sense I beg your 
pardon. I am out on a frolic, and mean to Lave 
it if there is any such thing.” 

“ W ell, before you go back into absolute non- 
sense let me ask you one move question. Do 
you really feel as deeply as you pretended to 
that man, on all these questions of the Chau- 
tauqua conscience? I mean, is it a vital point 
in your estimation whether people go tnere to 
church on Sunday or not ? ” 

Marion hesitated, and a fine glow deepened on 
her face as she said, after a little, speaking with 
grave dignity : 

“ I do not know that T can explain myself to 
you, Ruth, and I dare say that I seem to you 
like a bundle of contradictions ; but it is a real 


250 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

pleasure to me to come in contact with people 
who have earnest faith and eager enthusiasm 
over anything , and principle enough to stand by 
their views through evil and good report. In 
this way, and to a great degree, this meeting is 

positive delight to me, though I know person- 
ally as little about the feeling from which they 
think their actions take rise as any mortal pan. 
Does that answer satisfy you, my blessed mother 
confessor ? or are you more muddled than ever 
over what I do, and especially over what I do not 
believe ? ” 

“If I believed as much as you do I should 
look further.” 

Ruth said this with emphasis ; and there was 
that in it which, despite her attempts to throw it 
off, set Marion to thinking, and kept her wonder- 
fully quiet during their return trip. 

On the whole, the flight to Mayville was not 
viewed entirely in the light of a success. Ruth 
had been quiet and grave for some time, when 
she suddenly spoke in her most composed and 
decided voice : 

“ T shall go to Saratoga on Monday, whethei 
any one else will or not ; I shall find plenty of 


Getting Ready to Live. 251 

friends to welcome me, and I shall take the 
morning train from here,” 

But she didn’t. 

Meantime Flossy’s afternoon had been an un- 
interrupted satisfaction to her. She attended the 
children’s meeting, and it was perfectly amazing 
to her newly awakened brain how many of the 
stories, used to point truths for the children, 
touched home to her. 

Dr. Furlbut, of Plainfield, seemed to have 
especially planned his address for the purpose 
of hitting at some of the markedly weak points 
in her character, though no doubt the good man 
would have been utterly amazed had he known 
her thoughts. 

She listened and laughed with the rest over 
the story of the poor tailor who promised a coat 
to a customer for one, two and three weeks, 
heaping up his promises one on the other until 
he had a perfect pyramid of them, only to top- 
ple about his ears. She heard with the rest the 
magnificent voice ring out the solemn conclu- 
sion : 

“ Children, he did not mean to lie. He did 
not even think he was a liar. He only broke hi* 
promise*” 


252 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

They all heard, and I don’t know how man} 
shivered over it, but I do know that to Flossy 
Shipley it seemed as if some one had struck her 
an actual blow. Was it possible that the easy 
sentences, the easy promises, to “ write,” to 
“ come,” to “ bring this,” to “ tell that,” made so 
gracefully, sounding so kindly, costing so little 
because forgotten almost as soon as her head was 
urned away, actually belonged in that list de- 
cribed by the ugly word “lie.” Flossy had 
been a special sinner in this department of po- 
lite wickedness because it just accorded with her 
nature ; such promises were so easy to make, and 
seemed to please people, and were so easy to 
forget. Like the tailor, she hadn’t meant to be 
a liar, nor dreamed that she was one. 

But her wide-open ears took it all in, and her 
roused brain turned the thought over and over, 
until, be it known to you, that that girl’s happy 
pastor, when he receives from her a decided, 
“ Yes, sir, I will do it,” may rest assured that 
unless something beyond her control intervenes 
she will be at her post. 

So much did Dr. Hurlbut accomplish that af- 
ternoon without ever knowing it. There were 


(Jetting Ready to Live . 


253 


many things done that afternoon, I suspect, that 
only the light of the judgement day will reveal. 
0\ er the story of the two workmen, who each 
resolved to stick to a certain effort for six 
months, and did it, the one earning thereby a 
patent right worth thousands of dollars, and the 
other teaching a little dog how to dance to the 
whistling of a certain tune, Flossy looked unut- 
terably sober, while the laughter swelled to a 
perfect roar around her. It was hard to feel 
that not “ six months ” only, but a dozen years 
of intelligent life, were gone from her, and she 
had not even taught a dog to dance a jig ! That 
was the very way she put it in her humility; 
and I do not say that she placed it too low, be- 
cause really I don’t know that Flossy Shipley 
had ever had even so settled a purpose in life as 
that ! She had simply fluttered around the edge 
of this solemn business that we call living. 

But along with the sober thought glowed ths 
earnest purpose : given another dozen years to 
my young lady’s life and they will bear a differ- 
ent record ; and whatever they bear, Dr. Hurl- 
burt will be in a sense responsible for, though he 
never saw her and probably never will. Verily 


254 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

this living is a complicated bewildering thing 1 
Well for us that all the weight of the responsi- 
bility is not ours to bear. 

There was still another story, and over it 
Flossy’s lips parted, and her eyes glowed with 
feeling. That wonderful machine that the most 
skillful workmen tried in vain to repair, that 
was useless and worthless, until the name of the 
owner was lound on it, and he was sent for, then 
indeed it found the master-hand, the only one 
who could right it ; she did not need Dr. Hurl- 
but’s glowing application. u So He who made 
us, and engraved his name, his image, on oui 
bodies, can alone take our hearts and make 
them right.” 

Flossy listened to this and the sentences that 
followed, thrilling her heart with their powei 
and beauty — thrilling as they would not have 
done one week ago, for did she not know by 
actual experience just how blessed a worker the 
great Maker was? Had she not carried her 
heart to him, and had he not left his indelible 
impression there? Oh, this was a wonderful 
meeting to Flossy — one that she will never for- 
get — one that many others will have reason to 


(retting Ready to Live. 


255 


remember, because of the way in which she list- 
ened.. But was it not strange, the way in which 
her education was being cared for ? 

After tea she stood at the entrance of the 
tent, looking out for the girls — looking out, 
also, on the cool, quiet sunset and the glory 
spread everywhere, for there had been sunshine 
that da}q part of the time, and there was a dear 
sun setting. Under her arm she held the treas- 
ure which she had in the morning determined to 
possess — a good, plain, large-print Bible, not at 
all like the velvet-covered one that lay on her 
toilet-stand at home, but such as the needs of 
Bible students at Chautauqua had demanded, 
and therefore much better fitted for actual ser 
vice than the velvet. 

Among the many passers-by came Mrs. Smythe. 
She halted before Flossy. 

“Good-evening. I thought your party must 
have left. I haven’t seen you since Thursday. 
Haven’t you been fearfully bored ? We are go- 
ing to leave on Monday morning — going to 
Saratoga. Don’t some of you want to join us ? 

“I don’t know,” Flossy said, thoughtfully 
mindful of Ruth and her plan that had not 


256 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

worked. “ It is possible that Miss Erskine may. 
Do your entire party go ? ” 

“Oh, not my nephew, of course I Nothing 
could tear him away. He is perfectly charmed 
with all this singing and praying and preaching, 
but I confess it is too much of a good thing for 
me. I am not intellectually inclined, I like the 
music very well, and some of the addresses are 
fine ; but there is such a thing as carrying meet- 
ings to excess.” 

At this point she turned quickly at the sound 
of a firm step behind her, and greeted a young 
man. 

“ Speak of angels and you hear their wings, or 
the squeak of their boots,” she said. “ W e were 
just talking about you, Evan. My nephew, Mr. 
Roberts, Miss Shipley. I believe you have never 
met before.” 

Had they not I There was a heightened flush 
on the cheek of each as they shook hands. It 
was clear that each recognized the other. 

“ Are we strangers ? ” he asked, with a bright 
smile, speaking so low that Mrs. Smythe, whose 
attention had already wandered from them to a 
group who were passing, did not hear the words. 


Getting Ready to Live. 


25 ? 

M )n the contrary, I think we are related, though 
I do not know that we have happened to hear 
each other’s names before.” 

Flossy understood the relationship — sons and 
daughters of one Father — for she knew this was 
the young man who had twice questioned her 
concerning her allegiance to that Father. Also, 
she remembered him as the only one whom she 
had ever heard pray for her. 

Mrs. Symthe called out a gay good-evening to 
them, and joined a party of friends, and Mr. 
Roberts leaned against a tree and prepared to 
cultivate the acquaintance of his newly-found 
relative. 

“ You have one of those large, sensible-look- 
ing Bibles, 1 see,” he said. “ I have been very 
much tempted, but I could not make myself feel 
that I really needed one.” 

“ I really needed mine,” Flossy said, smiling. 
u I left my Bible at home. I had not such a 
thought as bringing it along. I feel now as if I 
had a treasure that I didn’t know how to use. 
It is quite new to me. I don’t know where to 
read first, but I suppose it makes no difference.’’ 

“ Indeed it does make great difference,” he 


258 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

said, smu*ng, “ and you will enjoy finding out 
how to rend it. Chautauqua is a good place for 
such a study, and the Bible reading this evening 
is an excellent place to commence. Are you 
going ? ” 

“ Yes, indeed ! ” Flossy said, with brightening 
eyes. “ I have been looking forward to it all 
day. I can’t think what a Bible reading is. Do 
they just read verses in the Bible ? ” 

“ Yes,” he said, smiling. “ It is just Bible 
verses, with a word of explanation now and then 
and a little singing. But the Bible verses are 
something remarkable, as you will see. It is 
nearly time for service. Are you ready ? Shall 
we walk down and secure seats ? ” 

So they went down together in the early twi- 
light, and took seats under the trees amid the 
glowing of brilliant lights and the soft sound of 
music coming from the piano on the stand. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE SILENT WITNESS. 

’ HAT Bible reading ! I wish I could 
make it appear to you as it did to Fossy 
Shipley. Not that either, because I trust that 
the sound of the Bible verses is not so utterly 
new to you as it was to her — rather, that it 
might sound to you as it did to the earnest-souled 
young man who sat beside her, taking in every 
word with as much eagerness as if some of the 
verses had not been his dear and long-cherished 
friends ; nay, with more eagerness on that ac- 
count. 

Do you know Dr. Parsons, of Boston ? It wan 
he who conducted that reading, and his them* 
was, “ The Coming of the Lord.” 


( 269 ) 


260 Four G-irls at Chautauqua . 

Let me give you just a few of the group- 
ings as he called them forth from his congregation 
under the trees, and which he called “ the Lord’s 
own testimonies to his coming 

“ Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour 
your Lord doth come. ,, “ Therefore, be ye also 
ready ; for in such an hour as ye think not the 
Son of man cometh.” “ Watch therefore, for ye 
know neither the day nor the hour wherein the 
Son of man cometh.” “ Take ye heed, watch 
and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” 

Four solemn warnings from the Head of the 
vineyard. They' reached to Flossy’s very soul, 
and she had that old well-known thrill of feeling 
that almost every Christian has some time ex- 
perienced. 

“ If /had only been there ; if He had spoken 
such words to I could never, never have for- 
gotten, or been neglectful. If I could only have 
heard Him speak ! ” And as if in answer to this 
longing cry Dr. Parsons himself read the next 
solemn sentence, read it in such a way that it 
almost seemed as if this might be the sacred gar- 
den, and Himself standing among the olive-trees 
speaking even to her : 


The Silent Witness . 


261 


“And what I say unto you I say unto all, 
Watch.” Here, then, was her direction from His 
own lips. Though centuries had passed since 
He spoke them they echoed down to her. She 
was not overwhelmed ; she was not crushed by 
the new and solemn sense of her calling that 
flowed over her. The Lord himself was there 
in every deed, and whispered in her ear, “ It is 
I, be not afraid.” And her heart responded sol- 
emnty, “ Aye, Lord, I feel thy presence ; I have 
been sleeping, but I am awake, and from hence- 
forth I will watch.” 

That Bible reading was like a whole week of 
theological study to Flossy. It was not that she 
learned simply about the blessed assurance, the 
weight of testimony amounting to an absolute 
certainty, concerning the coming of the Lord. 
But there were so many truths growing out 
from that, so many incentives to be up and doing ; 
for she found before the reading closed that one 
must not only watch, but in the watching work ; 
and there were so many reasons why she should, 
and so many hints as to the way and the time, 
Then there was, also, the most blessed discovery 
that the Bibl« was not a book to treat like an 


262 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

arithmetic. That one must read through tli6 
Book of Genesis, and then go on to Exodus, a 
chapter to-day, two chapters to-morrow, and per- 
haps some days, when one was not in too great 
a hurry and could read very fast, take half a 
dozen chapters, and so get through it. But she 
learned that there were little connecting links of 
sweetness all the way through the book ; that 
she had a right to look over in Revelation for 
an explanation of something that was stated in 
Deuteronomy. She did not learn all this, either, 
at this one time ; but she got a vivid hint of it, 
strong enough to keep her hunting and pulling 
at the lovely golden thread of the Bible for long 
years to come. 

There were special points about the closing 
verses that throbbed in her heart, and awakened 
purposes that never slept again. It was the gen- 
tleman who sat beside her who read the solemn 
words of the verse : 

“ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief 
in the night ; in which the heavens shall pass 
away with a great noise, and the elements shall 
melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the 
works that are therein shall be burned up. See- 


The Silent Witness . 


263 


ing then that all these things shall be dissolved, 
what manner of persons ought ye to be iu all 
holy conversation and godliness ? ” 

His voice was very earnest, and his face had 
an eager look of solemn joy. 

From it she felt the truth that while the words 
which he had been reading were full of solem- 
nity, and while he-felt the sense of responsibility, 
there was also that in them which filled his heart 
with great joy, for when that time should come 
would not he be with his Lord ? 

Again, when a little later he gave the closing 
verses of this wonderful lesson, reading them 
from her Bible, because in the dimness the print 
was larger and clearer than his own, they made 
the conclusion of the whole matter : 

“Ye are the children of light, and the children 
of the day ; we are not of the night, nor of the 
darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do oth- 
ers, but let us watch and be sober.” 

He marked it with his pencil as he finished 
reading, and as he returned the book to hej 
keeping he said with a smile : 

“We will, shall we not?” 

And it felt to Flossy like a convenant, wit 


264 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

nessed by the Lord himself. But Dr. Parsons, 
you know, knew nothing of all this. Chautau- 
qua was the place for sowing the seed ; they 
could only hope that the Lord of the vineyard 
was looking on and watching over the coming 
harvest ; it was not for their eyes to see the 
fruits. 

Sunday morning at Chautauqua ! None of all 
the many hundreds who spent the day within 
the shadow of that sweet and leafy place have 
surely forgotten how the quaint and quiet beauty 
of the place and its surroundings fell upon them ; 
they know just how the birds sang among those 
tall old trees ; they know just how still and blue 
and clear the lake looked as they caught glimpes 
of it through the quivering green of myriad 
leaves ; they know just how clearly the Chau- 
tauqua bells cut the air and called to the wor- 
ship. It needs not even these few words to re- 
call the place in its beauty to the hearts of those 
who worshiped there that day ; and for you who 
did not see it nor i iel its power there is no use 
to try to describe ( kautauqua. Only this, it is 
a place to love a r 1 look back to with a sort of 
sw r eet ai'/l mging all your lives. 


The Silent Witness. 


26i 


Our girls felt somewhat of the sacredness of 
the place ; at least they went around with a more 
decided feeling that it was Sunday than they 
had ever realized before. Three of them did. 

To Flossy this day was like the revelation of 
a new heaven and a new earth. Her first Sun- 
day in Christ ! 

There was no sunshine, neither was there rain. 
Just a hush of all things, and sweetness every- 
where. 

After breakfast Ruth and Marion lolled on 
their cots and studied the programme, while the 
other two made hasty toilets, and announced 
their intention of going to Sunday-school. 

“What in the name of sense takes you?” 
queried Marion, rising on one elbow, the better 
to view this strange phenomena. 

“ Why I have a mission,” Euriesaid. “About 
three thousand people have been talking all this 
week about teaching a few Bible verses to some 
children to-day, and I am going to find out what 
they are, and what is so wonderful about them. 
Besides, I was taken for a being named Miss 
Rider, and on inquiry I find her to be what they 
call an infant-class teacher, so 1 am going to hunt 


2G6 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

her up and see if we look alike and are affin- 
ities.” 

Flossy chose to make no answer at all, and 
presently the two departed together to attend 
their first Sabbath-school since they were known 
as children. As they passed a certain tent Eu- 
rie’s ready ears gained information from other 
passers-by : 

“ This is where the little children are ; Miss 
Rider is going to teach them.” 

Eurie halted. 

“ I'm going in here,” she said, decidedly, to 
Flossy. “ That is the very lady I am in search 
of.” And seeing Flossy hesitate, she added : 
“ Oh, you may go on, it is just as well to divide 
our forces ; we may each have some wonderful 
adventure. You go your way and I will go 
mine, and we’ll see what will come of it.” 

The tent was full apparently ; but that spirit 
which was rife at Chautauqua, and which 
prompted everybody to try to look out a little 
for the comfort of everybody else, made a seat 
full of ladies crowd a little and make room for 
her. Rows and rows of little people with smiling 
faces and shining eyes ! It was a pretty sight 


The Silent Witness. 


267 


Eurie gave eager attention to the lady who was 
talking to them, and laughed a little to herself 
over the dissimilarity of their appearance. 

“ Hair and eyes and height, and everything 
else, totally unlike me I ” she said. “ She is older 
than I, too, ever so much. She doesn’t look as 
I thought Miss Rider would.” 

But what she was saying proved to be very 
interesting, not only to the little people, but to 
Eurie. She listened eagerly. It was important 
to discover what had been so stirring the Sun- 
day-school world all the week. She was not 
left in doubt ; the story was plainly, clearly, fas- 
cinatingly told ; it was that tender one of the 
sick man so long waiting, waiting to be helped 
into the pool ; disappointed year after year, until 
one blessed day Jesus came that way and asked 
one simple question, and received an eager an- 
swer, and gave one brief command, and, lo ! the 
work was done ! The long, long years of pain 
and trial were over I Do you think this seemed 
like a wonderful story to Eurie ? Do you think 
her cheeks glowed with joy over the thought of 
the great love and the great power of Jesus? 

Alas, alas ! to her there was no beauty in him 


268 Four G-irls at Chautauqua . 

This simple tender story did not move her as tlie 
commonplace account of a common sickness and 
common recovery given in a village paper would 
have done. The very most that she thought of 
it was this : “ That Miss Rider has a good deal 
of dramatic power. How well she tells the 
story ! But dear me ! how stupid it must be. 
What is the use of taking so much trouble for 
these little midgets? They don’t understand 
the story, and of what use would it be to them 
if they did? Something that happened to some- 
body hundreds of years ago.” 

But now her attention was arrested by the 
sound of a very loud whisper just behind her, 
given in a childish voice. “ Miss Rider, Miss 
Rider,” the child was saying, and emphasizing 
her whisper by a pull at a lady’s dress. Eurie 
turned quickly ; the dress belonged to a young, 
fair girl, with fresh glowing face and large 
bright eyes, that shone now with feeling as she 
listened eagerly to this story, and to the com- 
ments of the children concerning it. Then she 
in turn whispered to the lady nearest her: 

“ Is it Miss Rider who is teaching? ” 

‘ % No, it is Mrs. Clark, of Newark. That is 
Miss Rider leaning against a post.” 


The Silent Witness . 


269 


Then Eurie looked back to her. “ She is no 
older than I,” she murmured ; “ indeed not so 
old, I should think. Her hair must be exactly 
the color of mine, and we are about the same 
height. I wonder if we do look in the least 
alike ? What do I care I ” Yet still she looked ; 
the bright face fascinated her. The little child 
had won the lady’s attention ; and the lips and 
eyes, and indeed the whole face, were vivid with 
animation as she bent low and answered some 
troubled question, appealing to the diagram on 
the board, and making clear her answer by rapid 
gestures with her fingers. The lady beside 
Eurie volunteered some more information. 

“ Miss Rider was to have taught this class, I 
heard. I wonder why she didn’t ? ” 

“ I don’t know,” Eurie answered, briefly. 
Then she looked back at her again. “She is 
jealous,” she said to herself. “ She was to have 
taught this class this morning, and by some 
blundering she was left out, and she is disgusted. 
She will say that such teaching as this amounts 
to nothing ; she could have done it five times as 
well ; or, if she doesn't say that last, she will 
think it and act it. 1 have no doubt these 


iJTO Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

rival teachers cordially hate each other, like pol- 
iticians.” 

Nevertheless that fresh young face, with ibi 
glow of feeling, fascinated her. She kept look- 
ing at her ; she gave no more attention to tbs 
lesson. What was it, after all, but an old story 
that had nothing to do with her ; the fact that it 
was taken from the Bible was proof enough of 
that. But she watched Miss Rider. The sen- 
si on closed and that lady pressed forward to as- 
sist in giving out papers. The crowd pushed 
the willing Eurie nearer to her, so near that she 
could catch the sentence that she was eagerly 
saying to the lady near her. 

“Isn’t Mrs. Clark delightful? It was such a 
beautiful lesson this morning. I think it is such 
a treat and such a privilege to be allowed to 
listen to her. Yes, darling,” this last to another 
little one claiming a word, “of course Jesus can 
hear you now, just as well as though He stood 
here. He often says to people, ‘ Wilt thou be 
made whole ? ’ He has said so to you this morn- 
ing.” 

Eurie turned away quickly. She had had 
her lesson. It wasn’t from the Bible, nor yet 


The Silent Witness. 


271 


did she hud it in those hundred little faces so 
eager to know the story in all its details. It 
was just in that young face not so old as hers, so 
bright, so strong, so thoroughly alert, and so 
thoroughly enlisted in this matter. The vivid 
contrast between that life and hers struck Eurie 
with the force of a new revelation. 

She went to the general service under the 
trees ; she heard a sermon from Dr. Pierce, so 
full of power and eloquence that to many who 
heard it there came new resolves, new purposes, 
new plans. I beg her pardon, she did not listen ; 
she simply occupied a seat and looked as though 
she was a listener. 

But the truth was, she had not learned yet to 
listen to sermons. The very fact that it was a 
sermon made it clear to her mind that there was 
lo be nothing in it for her ; this had been her ed- 
lcation. In reality, during that hour of worship 
she was engaged in watching the changeful play 
of expression on Miss Eider’s face, as her eyes 
brightened and glowed with enthusiasm or trem- 
bled with tears, according as the preacher’s 
words roused or subdued her. 

Well, Eurie had her lesson. It was not from 


272 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

the Bible, it was not from the preacher's lips, 
except incidentally, but it was from a living 
epistle. “Ye shall be witnesses of me,” was the 
promise of Christ in the long ago, just before 
the cloud received him out of sight. Is not that 
promise verified to us often and often when we 
know it not ? 

Miss Rider had no means of knowing as she 
*.at a listener that Sabbath morning that she was 
witnessing for Christ. But she was just as 
surely speaking for him as though she had stood 
up amid that throng and said : “I love Jesus.” 
“ Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord.” And 
the poet has said : “ They also serve who only 
stand and wait.” Blessed are those in whom 
the waiting and the service go togethe: 



CHAPTER XIX. 



AN OLD STORY. 

I^JLEANTIME Flossy, deserted by her com- 
panion, made her way somewhat timidly 
down to the stand, amazed by the great congre- 
gation of people who had formed themselves into 
a Sunday-school. With all their haste the girls 
had gotten a very late start. The opening exer- 
cises were all over, and the numerous teachers 
were turning to their work. Strangely enough, 
the first person whom Flossy’s eye took in dis- 
tinctly enough for recognition was Mr. Roberts. 
He had recognized her, also, and was coming 
toward her. 

“ How do you do this morning ? ” he said, 
holding out his hand. “ Do you know I have a 

mission for you ? There are two boys who seem 

(273) 


274 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

to belong to nobody, and to have nothing in 
common with this gathering, except curiosity, 
The superintendent has twice tried to charm 
them in, but without success — they will come 
no further than that tree. I think they have 
slipped in from the village, probably in a most 
unorthodox fashion, and what I am coming at is, 
will you go out under the tree to them and be- 
guile them into attending a Sabbath-school for 
once in their lives ? They look to me as though 
it was probably a rare occurrence.” 

Now you are not to suppose that this invita- 
tion came to Flossy with the same sound that it 
would have had to you, if Mr. Roberts had come 
to you that Sabbath morning and asked you to 
tell those two boys a Bible story. It is some- 
thing that you have probably been doing a good 
deal of, all your grown-up life, and two boys at 
Chautauqua are no more to you than two boys 
anywhere else, except that there is*a delightful 
sensation connected with having a class-room 
out in the open air. But imagine yourself sud- 
denly confronted by Dr. Vincent, and asked if 
y ou would be so kind as to step on the platform 
and preach to five thousand people, from a text 


An Old Story. 


275 


diat he would select for you ! Now you have 
something of an idea as to how this request felt 
to Flossy. A rare glow spread all over her face, 
and she looked up at her questioner with eyes 
that were quivering in tears. 

“ You do not know what you are saying,” she 
said, in low a.nd trembling voice. “ I have not 
been to a Sabbath -school in seven years, and I 
never taught anybody anything in my life.” 

It was true that he did not know. It seemed 
to him such a very little thing that he had asked. 
However, he spoke gently enough as one who 
was courteous, even when he could not quite 
comprehend. 

“ Then is not to-day a good time to commence ? 
You will surely never have a better opportu- 
nity.” 

But she shook her head, and turned quite 
away from him, walking down among the trees 
where no people were. Her joy was all gone, 
and her pleasant time. She had meant to go to 
Sabbath-school; to sit down quietly in some 
body’s class and learn, oh ! a very great deal 
during the next hour. Now she was all stirred 
up, and could not go anywhere. 


276 Four Grirh at Chautauqua. 

As for Mr. Roberts, he went back to the large 
class who were waiting for him. And those 
two boys hovered around the edge of that feast 
like hungry creatures who yet had never learned 
to come to the table and take their places. 
J lossy looked at them; at first indignantly, as 
at miserable beings who had spoiled her pleas- 
ure ; then she became fascinated by their bright, 
dirty faces and roguish ways. She edged a 
little nearer to them. Boys she was afraid of; 
she knew nothing about them. Had they been 
a little older, and been dressed well, and been 
of the stamp of boys who knew how to bring 
her handkerchief to her when she dropped it, 
she would have known what to say to them. 
But boys who were not more than twelve oi 
fourteen, and who were both ragged and dirty, 
were new phases of life to her. 

“Why don’t you go to Sunday-school?” she 
questioned at last, with a timid air. She could 
at least ask that. They were not the least 
timid as to answering ; the older and the dirtier 
of the two turned his roguish eyes on her and 
surveyed her from head to foot before he said : 

“ W hy don’t you ? *’ 


An Old Story . 


277 


Flossy was unprepared for this question, but 
she answered quickly and truthfully : 

“ Because I am afraid to go.” 

Both boys stared, and then laughed, and the 
other younger one said: 

“ So be we.” 

“ I suppose we are both very silly,” Flossy 
said. “ But I have not been to Sunday-school 
for so long that I have forgotten all about it. 
Let’s have one of our own that we are not afraid 
to go to.” 

And she sat bravely down on the stump at 
her feet ; her mood had changed very suddenly ; 
only yesterday she had read a verse in that 
Bible, and it thrilled her then, and came to hei 
now : 

“ The man departed and told the Jews that it 
was Jesus who had made. him whole.” 

Suppose she were the man, and these were the 
Jews, could she not say to them, “He has made 
me whole ” ? She could tell them about that 
pool, and about the sick man. It wouldn’t be 
teaching in Sunday-school, but it would be do- 
; ng the best thing that she could. 

It suddenly occurred to her to wonder where 


278 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

the lesson was that was being taught this morn* 
ing, and she consulted the lesson leaf that Mr. 
Roberts had left in her hand. The glow on her 
face deepened and spread as she recognized the 
very story which had so filled her heart the day 
before I What if the great Physician had actu- 
ally selected her to tell of that miracle of healing 
to these two neglected ones I Surely they were 
not so formidable as the Jews ! But how in the 
world to begin was a bewilderment. Clearly 
she must decide at once if she was to have any 
class, for her two boys began to look about 
them, and show signs of flight. 

“ Did you ever hear about a wonderful spring 
that used to cure people ? ” 

“Lots of ’em. I used to live right by one 
that cured the rheumatiz.” 

“ But this one would cure other things, only 
it wouldn’t cure people all the time. There was 
just one time in the year when it would do it \ 
and then the one that got in first was the only 
one cured.” 

Her listeners looked skeptical. 

“ What was that for ? ” queried the bolder of 
the two. “ Why didn’t it cure but one ? ” 


An Old Story. 


279 


“I don’t know,” Flossy said. “There are 
ever so many things that I know that I can’t tel] 
why they are so. For instance, I don’t know 
why that spring you have been telling me about 
cures the rheumatism, but I know it does, for 
you told me so.” 

“ No more do I,” the boy said, promptly, hav- 
ing in his heart a rising respect for the young 
teacher and her story.” 

Then this new beginner, with the air of a di- 
plomatist, told all the details of this wonderful 
cure, without once mentioning the name of either 
person or place. An innate sense of the human 
heart told her that “Jerusalem” and “Jesus” 
were both probably connected in the minds of 
these two with the Bible, and their appearance 
told her that they were likely to be skeptical as 
to the interest of Bible stories. But, like all ig- 
norant persons, there was a credulous side to 
their nature. It is surprising what marvelous 
stories people are prepared to receive and credit, 
provided only that they do not come from the 
Bible, with a “ Thus saith the Lord ” to vouch 
for them. Then, indeed, they are apt to become 
‘‘unreasonable” and “improbable.” Present!}' 


280 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

hei boys volunteered some remarks and asked 
some questions. 

“Jolly I that fellow must have felt good: I 
guess he wanted to run all around the country 
and tell about it. Where was this spring, and 
what was the man’s name that cured him ? ” 

The other chimed in : “ Yes, and how did he 
do it? That’s what I’m after. And is he dead? 
cause I don’t hear of no such cures now-days.” 

Then was Flossy tremulous of heart. She 
had become eagerly interested in her story and 
her boys. Would the charm that she had 
woven be broken the moment they knew the 
story’s origin ? But of course she must tell 
them, for what good else would the story do ? 

“ He is dead,” she said, slowly, answering the 
last question first. “ That is, he is what you call 
dead. But, of course, you know as well as I do 
that that doesn’t mean what it seems to ; it 
means simply that he doesn’t live in the same 
place that he once did. He went to heaven to 
live ever so many years ago.” 

She waited to feel the effect of this announce- 
ment. The boys were silent and grave. They 
bad evidently heard of heaven, and had some 


An Old Story . 


281 


measure of respect for the name. The new 
teacher did not know what to say next. The 
boys helped her. The younger one drew a 
heavy sigh. 

“ Well, all I’ve got to say is, I wish he was 
alive now,” he said, in a regretful tone, “ ’cause 
my mother has been sick longer than thirty-eight 
years ; she has been sick about all her life, and 
she is real bad now, so she can’t walk at all. I 
s’pose he could cure her if he was here.” 

“ I suppose he could cure her now.” Flossy 
said this slowly, reverently, looking earnestly at 
the boy, hoping to convey to him a sense of her 
meaning. He looked utterly puzzled. Light 
began to dawn on the face of the older boy. 

“ She’s been tellin’ us one of them Bible sto- 
ries,” he said, speaking not to Flossy, but to his 
companion, and assuming an injured air, as if a 
wrong had been done them. 

Flossy spoke quickly : 

“ Of course I have. I thought you wanted to 
hear something that really happened, and not a 
made-up story.” This seemed to be an appeal 
to their dignity, and they eyed her reflectively 

“ IIow do you know it happened ?” ventured 
the younger one. 


282 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

Flossy gave a rapid and animated answer. 

“ There are about a hundred reasons why 1 
know it ; it would take me all day to tell you 
half of them. But one is, that I read it in a 
book which good men who know a great deal, 
and who have been studying all their lives to 
find out about it, say they know is true ; and I 
believe what they tell me about Washington and 
Lincoln and other men whom I never saw, so I 
ought to believe them when they tell me about 
this man.” 

“ But there’s one thing you don’t know. You 
don’t know that he can cure folks now, and he 
don’t do it. This was spoken with a quiet posi- 
tiveness, and with the air that said, “ That can’t 
be disputed, and you know it can’t.” 

Flossy hesitated just a moment ; the glow on 
her face deepened and spread. Then she an- 
swered in much the same tone that the boy had 
used : 

44 1 know he can , and I have good reason for 
knowing. I’ll tell you a secret; you are the 
very first persons I have told about it, but he 
has cured me. I have been sick all my life; 
when I came here to Chautauqua I was sick. 1 


An Old Story . 


283 


could not do anything that I was made to do, 
and I kept doing things all the time that wera 
not meant for me to do, but he has cured me.” 

The boys looked at her in absolute incredu- 
lous wonder. 

“Was you sick in bed when you came?” 
ventured one of them at last. 

“No; it is not that kind of sickness that 1 
mean. That is when the body is sick, the body 
that when the soul goes away looks like nothing 
but marble, can not move, nor feel, nor speak ; 
that isn’t of much consequence, you know, be- 
cause we are sure that the soul will go away 
from it after awhile. It is this soul of mine that 
is going to live forever that was cured.” 

“ How do you know it was ? ” came again 
from these wondeiing boys. Flossy smiled a 
rare, bright smile that charmed them. 

“ If yours had been cured you would not ask 
me that question,” she raaid ; “ you would know 
how I know it. But I can’t tell you how it is : 
don’t you know there are some things that you 
are sure of that you can’t explain? You are 
sure you can think, aren’t you ? but how would 
you set to work to explain to me that you are 


284 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

sure ? The only way that you can know lio^r fs 
by going to this doctor and getting cured ; then 
you will understand. ” 

“I’d like him if he would cure folks’ bodies? 
began the boy who had a sick mother, speaking 
in a doubtful, somewhat dissatisfied tone 

‘fHe does,” Flossy said, quickly. “Don’t 
people’s bodies get well sometimes? and who 
can cure bodies except the one who made them ? 
If you want your mother cured you ought to try 
him. If she is to be made well you may be sure 
that he can do it ; but why should he so long as 
you do not care enough about it to ask him ? ” 

There was a rush and a bustle among the 
crowds in the distance. Sunday-school session 
was over, and the great company were moving 
for seats for the morning service. The boys 
took the alarm and fled, each glancing back t»’ 
nod and smile at the bright apparition who had 
told them a story. Flossy picked up her Bible ; 
she had not needed to use it during this talk. 
The story of Bethesda had burned itself so into 
her heart with that morning reading that she 
had no need to look at it again. She gave a 
thoughtful little sigh. 


An Old Story. 


285 


“ 1 don’t know about that being teaching,” 
she said within her heart, “ but I certainly told 
them about Jesus, and I told them it was Jesus 
who had 4 made me whole.’ 1 made my own 
experience ‘ witness ’ for me to that degree. If 
that is what they mean by teaching I like to do 
it. I mean to go to Sunday-school just as soon 
as I get borne, and if I find out that they just 
tell about things as they are in the Bible I can 
do it. I can make the boys listen to me, I 
know.” 

Bright little fairy that she was ! There was 
a new glow about her face. She was waking to 
the thought that there was such a thing as power 
over people’s brains. No danger but she will 
use her knowledge. Let me tell you another 
thing that Chautauqua did for her. It planted 
the seed that shall blossom into splendid teach- 
ing. There was one teacher who gave many 
glances that morning to the little group around 
that old tree stump. Mr. Roberts, from his 
point of observation, not far away, watched this 
scene from beginning to end. It fascinated him. 
He saw the timid beginning and the ever-in 


‘>.86 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

creasing interest, until, when Flossy closed her 
Bible and arose, he turned his eyes from her 
with a quiet smile in them, and to himself he 
said : “ Unless I am very greatly mistaken she 
has found something that she can do. ” 




CHAPTER XX. 

PEOPLE WHO, “ HAVING EYES, SEE NOT.” 



riRLS!” said Eurie, as she munched a 
doughnut, which she had brought from 
the lunch-table with her, and lounged on a camp- 
chair, waiting for the afternoon service, “ do you 
know that Flossy taught a class in Sunday-school 
this morning ? ” 

“ Taught a class ! ” repeated both Marion and 
Ruth in one voice, and with about equal degree® 
of amazement. 

“ She did, as true as the world. That is, she 
must have been teaching. The way of it was 
this : I went to see the little midgets exhibit 

themselves, and when I came out of the tent 

( 287 ) 


288 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

and walked over toward the stand, there sat 
Flossy on that old stump just back of the stand, 
and before her were two of the roughest-looking 
boys that ever emerged from the backwoods. 
They were ragged and dirty and wild ; and as 
wicked little imps as one could find, I am sure. 
Flossy was talking to them, and she had a large 
Bible in her lap and one of those Lesson Leaves 
that they flutter about here so much ; and — 
well, altogether it was an amazing sight! She 
was certainly talking to them with all her 
might, and they were listening ; and it is my 
opinion that she was trying to play Sunday- 
school teacher, and give them a lesson. You 
know she is an imitative little sheep, and always 
was.” 

“ Nonsense ! ” Ruth said, and she seemed to 
speak more sharply than the occasion warranted. 
“Just as if Flossy Shipley couldn’t have any- 
thing to say to two boys but what she found in 
the Bible! Little she knows what is in it, for 
that matter. I suppose she wandered out that 
way because she did not know what else to do 
with herself, and talked to the boys by way of 


People Who, “ Raving Eyes, See Not” 289 

amusement. She has often amused herself in 
that way, I am sure.” 

“ Ah, yes ; but these specimens were rather 
too youthful and dirty for that sort of amuse- 
ment, and she had a Bible in her lap.” 

“ What of that ! Bibles are as common as 
leaves here. I found two lying on the seat 
which I took this morning. People seem to 
think the art of stealing has not found its way 
here.” 

“ Flossy is changed,” interrupted Marion. 
“ The mouse is certainly different from what 1 
ever saw her before ; she seems so quiet and 
self-sustained. I thought she was bored. Why, 
I expected her to hail a trip to her dear Sara- 
toga with absolute delight! She belongs to 
just the class of people who would find the in- 
tellectual element here too strong for her, and 
would have to flutter off in that direction in 
self-defense. Ruthie, you have the temper of an 
angel not to fly out at me for bringing in Sara- 
toga every few minutes. It isn’t with ‘malice 
aforethought,’ I assure you. I forget your pro- 
jected scheme whenever I speak of it ; but you 
must allow me to be astonished over Flossy’s re 


290 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

fusal to go with you. Something has come ore* 
the mousie that is not explainable by any of the 
laws of science with which 1 am acquainted.” 

“Don’t trouble yourself to apologize, I beg. 
I hope you do not think I am so foolish as to 
care anything about your hints as to Saratoga. 
Of course I recognize my right in this world to 
be governed by my own tastes and inclinations. 
I have enjoyed that privilege too long to be dis- 
turbed by trifles.” This from Ruth ; but I shall 
have to admit that it was very stiffly spoken, and 
if she had but known it, indicated that she did 
care a great deal. In truth she was very sore 
over her position and her plans. She who had 
prided herself on her intellectuality bored to the 
very point of leaving, and Flossy, who had been 
remarkable for nothing but flutter and fashion, 
actually so interested that she could not be 
coaxed into going away ! What was it that in- 
terested her ? That was the question which in- 
terested and puzzled Ruth. She studied over it 
during all the time that Marion and Eurie were 
chatting about the morning service. 

Flossy was different; there was no shutting 
one’s eyes to that fact. The truth was that she 


People Who , “ Having Eyes, See Not. 11 291 


had suddenly seemed to have little in common 
with her own party. She certainly said little to 
them ; she made no complaints as to inconven- 
iences, even when they amounted to positive an- 
noyances with the rest of the party; she had 
given up afternoon toilets altogether, and in fact 
the subject of dress seemed to be one that had 
suddenly sunken into such insignificance as to 
cease to claim her thoughts at all. 

Grave changes these to be found in Flossy 
Shipley. Then, too, she had taken to wander- 
ing away alone in the twilight ; during the short 
spaces between services she was nowhere to be 
found, but the Chautauqua bell brought her 
back invariably in time to make ready for the 
next service. “ There is certainly more to the 
little mouse than I ever expected before. If 
Chautauqua wakes our wits as it has Flossy’s 
we shall have reason to bless the day that Dr. 
Vincent invented it.” This Ruth heard from 
Marion as she roused herself from her reverie tc 
give attention to what the girls were saying. 
They had got back to a discussion of Flossy 
again. It was a subject that someway annoyed 
Ruth, so she dismissed it, and made ready foi 
the afternoon meeting, whither they all went. 


292 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

To Marion the morning sermon had been an 
intellectual treat. She had a way of listening 
to sermons that would have been very disheart 
ening to the preacher if he had known of it. 
She had learned how to divest herself of all per- 
sonality. The subject was one that had nothing 
to do with her ; the application of solemn truths 
were for the people around her who believed in 
these things, but never for her ; so she listened 
and enjoyed, just as she enjoyed a book or a 
picture, just as if she had no soul at all, nothing 
but an intellect. 

It was very rare indeed that an arrow from 
any one’s quiver touched her. But there was 
one single sentence in Dr. Pierce’s sermon that 
was destined to haunt her. Said he: “When 
the blind man was questioned he couldn’t argue, 
he didn’t try to ; but he could stand up there 
before them and say, ‘ Whereas I was blind, now 
I see ; make the most of that.’ And wasn’t it 
an unanswerable argument ? There is no argu- 
ment like it. When men are honest and earnest 
and spiritual in Wall Street, it tells.” 

Now that was just the kind of sentence to de- 
light Marion’s heart. The inconsistencies of 


People Who , u Having Eyes , See Not .” 29b 


Christians was one of her very strong points ; 
she saw them bristling out everywhere, and she 
looked about her with a satisfied smile on her 
face that so large a company of them were get- 
ting so sharp a thrust as this. 

And suddenly their flashed across her brain 
an utterly new thought. “ Whereas I was 
blind, now I see.” “ Perhaps,” she said to her- 
self — 4 perhaps I am blind. What if that should 
be the only reason why these things are not to 
me as they are to others. How do I know, 
after all, but there may really be a spiritual 
blindness, and that it may be holding me ? How 
do I know but that the reason some of these 
poor ignorant people whom I meet are so firm in 
their belief of Christ and heaven is because they 
have had just this experience ? 

Whereas I was blind, now I see ! ’ How can 
I possibly tell but that this may be the case ? I 
wonder what I do think anyway ? Do I really 
think that all these men gathered here are either 
deceived or deceivers ? One or the other they 
must be — and either position is too silly to sus- 
tain — or else I must be blind. If there should 
be such a thing as seeing, and I discover it too 


294 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

late ! If there is a too late to this thing, and I 
do not find it out simply because I am blind, 
what then ? The sun shines, of course, though 
I dare say an entirely blind man doesn’t believe 
it. Doesn’t have an idea anyway what it is — 
how can he ? ” 

Over and over did she revolve this sentence, 
and look at it from every attainable standpoint. 
No use to try to shut it off, back it came. All 
the clatter with which she had amused herself 
during the interval between meetings had not 
banished it. No sooner was she seated under 
those trees waiting for the afternoon service 
than the thought presented itself for her to con- 
sider. 

“ I wonder if there are different degrees of 
moral blindness ? ” she said, suddenly. “ Peo- 
ple who can see just enough to enable them to 
keep constantly going the wrong way, so that 
they are no better off than the blind, except 
that they admit that there is such a thing as 
seeing. The thing is possible, I suppose.” 

Ruth turned and looked at her wonderingly. 

“What are you talking about? ” she asked at 
last. 


People Who, “ Having -Eyes, See Not.” 296 

44 I’m moralizing,” Marion said, laughing. 
“You yourself suggested that train of thought. 
I was wondering which of us was right in our 
notions, you or I ; and, for all practical purposes, 
what difference it made.” 

44 You are too high up for me to follow. I 
haven’t the least idea what you mean.” 

4 ‘ Why, I tell you I was contrasting our condi- 
tions. Let me see if I have a right view of 
them. Don’t you honestly think that there is a 
God, and a heaven, and a hell, and that to escape 
the one place and secure the other certain efforts 
upon your part are necessary ? ” 

44 Why, of course I think so. I have never 
made any pretense of disbelieving all these 
things. I think it is foolish to do so.” 

44 Exactly. Now for one question more : Have 
you made the effort that you believe to be nec- 
essary ? ” 

44 Have you been hired as an exhorter ? ” Ruth 
said, trying to laugh. 44 Why, no, I can not say 
that I have.” 

44 Well, then, suppose you and I should both 
die to-night. I don’t believe any of these 
things ; you do, but you don’t practice on your 


296 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

belief. Then, according to your own view, you 
will be lost forever ; and, according to that same 
view, so shall I. Now, practically, what differ- 
ence is there between us? So if it is really 
blindness, why may not one be totally blind as 
well as to have a little sight that keeps one all 
the time in the wrong way ? ” 

“ I dare say we are quite as well off,” Ruth 
said, composedly; “only I think there is this 
point of difference between us. I think your 
position is silly. I don’t see how any one who 
has studied Paley and Butler, and in fact any 
of the sciences, can think so foolish a thing as 
you pretend to. One doesn’t like to be foolish, 
even if one doesn’t happen to be a Christian.” 

“ Foolish ? ” Marion repeated, and there was a 
fine glow on her face. “ Don’t you go and talk 
anything so wild as that ! If there is any class 
of people in this world who profess to be sim- 
pletons, and act up to their professions, it is you 
people who believe everything and do nothing. 
Now just look at the tiling for a minute. Sup- 
pose you say, 4 There is a precipice over there, 
and every whiff of wind blows us nearer to it ; 
we will surely go over if we sit here ; we ought 


People Who , “ Having Eyes, See Not” 297 

to go up on that hill ; I know that is a safe 
place,’ and yet you sit perfectly still. And sup- 
pose I say, ‘I don’t believe there is any such 
thing as a precipice, and I believe this is just as 
safe a place as there is anywhere,’ and I sit still. 
Now T should like to know which of us was act- 
ing the sillier ? ” 

“ You would be,” Ruth said, stoutly, “ if you 
persisted in disbelieving what could be proved 
to you so clearly that no person with common 
sense would think of denying it.” 

“ Humph ! ” said Marion, settling back ; “ in 
that case I think there would be very little chance 
for each to accuse the other of folly ; only I con- 
fess to you just this, Ruth Erskine, if you could 
prove to me that there was a precipice over there, 
and that we were being carried toward it, and 
that the hill was safe, 1 know in my very 
soul that I should get up and go to that hill. I 
would not be such a fool as to delay, I know I 
wouldn’t.” 

“You are frank,” Ruth said, and her face was 
flushed. “ I am sure I don’t see why you don’t 
make the attempt and decide for 3 r ourself, if you 
feel this thing so deeply. I think there ought 


298 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

to be a prayer-meeting on your account. If 1 
knew Dr. Vincent I would try to have this thing 
turned into a regular camp-meeting time, then 
you would doubtless get all the help you need.” 

Marion laughed good-humoredly. 

“ Don’t waste your sarcasm on me,” she said, 
cheerily ; “ keep your weapons for more impress- 
ible subjects. You know I am not in the least 
afraid of any such arguments. I have been talk- 
ing downright truth and common sense, and you 
know it, and are hit ; that is what makes you sar 
castic. Did you know that was at the bottom 
of most sarcasm, my dear ? ” 

“ Do hush, please. These people before us 
are trying hard to hear what the speaker is say- 
ing.” 

This was Ruth’s answer ; but she had had her 
sermon*; and of all the preachers at Chautauqua 
the one who had preached to her was Marion 
Wilbur, the infidel school-teacher ! It was her 
use of Dr. Pierce’s arrow that had thrust Ruth. 
She gave herself up to the thought of it all dur- 
ing that wonderful afternoon meeting. Very 
little did she hear of the speeches, save now and 
then a sentence more vivid than the rest ; her 


People Who, “ Having Eyes, See Not.” 299 


brain was busy with new thoughts. Was it all so 
very queer? Did it look to others than Mar- 
ion a strange way to live ? Did she actually be - 
lieve these things for which she had been con- 
tending ? If she did, was she in very deed an 
idiot ? It actually began to look as though she 
might be. She was not wild like Eurie, nor in- 
tense and emotional, like Marion ; she was still 
and cold, and, in her way, slow ; given to weigh- 
ing thoughts, and acting calmly from decisions 
rather than from impulse. It struck her oddly 
enough now that, having so stoutly defended the 
cardinal doctrines of Christian faith, she should 
have no weapons except sarcasm with which to 
meet a bold appeal to her inconsistency. 

“ When I get home from Saratoga,” she said, 
at last, turning uneasily in her seat, annoyed at 
the persistency of her thoughts, “ I really mean 
to look into this thing. I am not sure but a 
sense of propriety should lead one to make a 
profession of religion. It is, as Marion says, 
strange to believe as we do and not indicate it 
b} T our professions. I am not sure but the right 
thing for me to do would be to unite with the 
church. There is certainly some ground for the 


300 Four Girls Qt, Chautauqua. 

thrusts that Marion has been giving. My posi- 
tion must seem inconsistent to her. I certainly 
believe these things. What harm in my saying 
so to everybody ? Rather, is it not the right 
thing to do ? I will unite with the church from 
a sense of duty, not because my feelings happen 
to be wrought upon by some strong excitement. 
I wonder just what is required of people when 
they join the church ? A sense of their own de- 
pendence on Christ for salvation I suppose. I 
certainly feel that. I am not an unbeliever in 
any sense of the word. I respect Christian peo- 
ple, and always did. Mother used to be a 
church-member ; I suppose she would be now if 
she were not an invalid. Most of the married 
ladies in our set are church-members. I don’t 
see why it isn’t quite as proper for young ladies 
to be. I certainly mean to give some attention 
to this matter just as soon as the season is over 
at Saratoga. In the meantime I wonder when 
there is a train I can get, and if I couldn’t tele- 
graph to mother to send my trunks on and have 
them there when I arrived.” 


CHAPTER XXI. 



A “SENSE OF DUTY. 

is not so easy to get away from one s 
self as you might think, if you never had 
occasion to try it. Ruth Erskine — who 
honestly thought herself on the high road to 
heaven because she had decided to offer herself 
for church-membership as soon as she returned 
from Saratoga — did not find the comfort and 
rest of heart that so heroic a resolution ought to 
have brought. 

It w&s in vain that she endeavored to dismiss 
the subject and try to decide just what new cos- 
tume the Saratoga trip would demand. If she 
could only have gotten away from the crowd of 

people and out of that meeting back to the quiet 

301 


302 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

of her tent, she might have succeeded in arrang- 
ing her wardrobe to her satisfaction ; but she 
was completely hedged in from any way of es- 
cape, and the inconsiderate speakers constantly 
made allusions that thrust the arrow further into 
her brain ; I am not sure that it could have been 
said to have reached her heart. 

“ Who is to blame that you can not all be ad- 
dressed as workers for Christ? Who is your 
Master ? Why do you not serve him ? ” 

These were sentences that struck in upon her 
just as she was deciding to have a new summer 
silk, trimmed with shirrings of the same mater- 
ial a shade darker. 

“ Workers!” 

She did not know whether the speaker gave 
a peculiar emphasis to that word, or whether it 
only sounded so to her ears. Did this resolution 
that she had made put her among the workers f 
What was she ready to do ? Teach iu the Sab- 
bath-school? Involuntarily she shrugged her 
shoulders ; she did not like children ; tract dis- 
tributing, too, was hateful work, and out of style 
she had heard some one say. What wonderful 
work was to be done ? She was sure she didn’t 


A “ tSense of Duty. 


303 


know. Sewing certainly wasn’t in her line ; she 
couldn’t make clothes for the poor ; but, then, 
she could give money to buy them with. Oh, 
yes, she was perfectly willing to do that. And 
then she tried to determine whether it would be 
well to get a new black grenadine, or whether a 
black silk would suit her better. She had got 
it trimmed with four rows of knife pleating, 
headed with puffs, when she was suddenly re- 
turned to the meeting. 

Somebody was telling a story ; she had not 
been giving sufficient attention to know who the 
speaker was, but he told his story remarkably 
well. It must have been about a miserable lit- 
tle street boy who was sick, and another misera- 
ble street boy seemed to be visiting him. 

This wa| where her ears took it up : 

“ It was up a ricketty pair of stairs, and an- 
other, and another, to a filthy garret. There lay 
the sick boy burning with a fever, mother and 
father both drunk, and no one to do anything or 
care anything for the boy who was fighting 
with death. ‘ Ben,’ said his dirty-faced visitor, 
bending over him, 4 you’re pretty bad ain’t you ? 
Ben, do you ever pray ? ’ 4 No,’ says Ben, turn- 


304 Four Grirls at Chautauqua. 

mg fevered eyes on the questioner: ‘I don’t 
know what that is.’ 4 Did you know there was 
a man once named Jesus Christ? He me to 
this world on purpose to save people who are go- 
ing to die. Did you ever be told about him ? ’ 
4 No ; who is he ? ’ 4 Why, he is God ; yGU have 

to believe on him.’ 4 1 don’t know what you 
mean.’ 4 Why, ask him to save you. When 
you die you ask him to take you and save you. 
I heard about him at school.’ 4 Will he do it ? ’ 
‘Yes, he will sure. Them says so as have 
tried him.’ Silence in the garret, Ben with his 
face turned to the wall the fever growing less, 
the pulse growing fainter ; suddenly he turns 
back. 4 I’ve asked him,’ he said ; 4 I’ve asked 
him, and he said he would.’ ” 

Ruth looked about her nervously. People 
were weeping softly all around her. Marion 
brushed two great tears from her glowing cheeks, 
and Ruth, with her heart beating with such a 
quickened motion that it made her faint, won- 
dered what was the matter with every one, and 
wished this dreadful meeting was over, or that 
she had gone to Saratoga on Saturday. 

It was hard to go back to the puffs on that 


A “Sense of Duty . 


305 


grenadine dress in the midst of all this, but with 
a resolute struggle she threw herself back into 
an argument as to whether she would stop on 
her way to make purchases, or run down to Al- 
bany as soon as she was comfortably settled at 
her hotel. Mr. Bliss was the next one who 
roused her. 

You have never heard him sing ? Then I am 
sorry for you. How can I tell you anything 
about it? You should hear Ruth tell it ! How 
his voice rolled out and up from under those 
grand old trees ; how distinctly every word fell 
on your ear, as distinctly as though you and he 
had been together in a little room alone, and he 
had sung it for you. 

*• This loving Savior stands patiently — 

Though oft rejected, 

Calls again for thee. 

Calling now for thee, prodigal, 

Calling now for thee ; 

Thou hast wandered far away, 

But he’s calling now for thee.” 

What was the matter with everybody ? Was 
this an army of prodigals who had gathered un- 


306 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

der the trees this Sabbath afternoon? Turn 
where she would they were wiping away the 
tears ; she felt herself as if she could hardly keep 
back her own ; and yet why should she weep ? 
What had that song to do with her ? She cer- 
tainly was not a prodigal ; she had never wan- 
dered, for she had never professed to be a Christ- 
ian. 

What strange logic, that because T have never 
owned my Father’s love and care, therefore I 
am not a wanderer from him ! 

Ruth did not understand it ; she felt almost 
provoked ; had she not decided this very after- 
noon and for the first time in her life that it was 
fitting and eminently the proper thing to do to 
unite with the church, and had she not deter- 
mined upon doing it just as soon as the season 
was over ? What more could she do ? Why 
could she not now have a little peace? If 
this was the “comfort” and “rest” that the 
Christians at Chautauqua had been talking 
about for a week, she was sure the less she had 
of them the better, for she never felt so uncom- 
fortable in her life. Nevertheless, she adhered 
to her resolution. 


A “ Sense of Duty. 


307 


So settled was she that it was the next proper 
thing to do that she staid at home from the meet- 
ing that evening to write a letter to Mr. Wayne, 
the gentleman who you will perhaps remember, 
accompanied the girls to the depot on the morn- 
ing of their departure, and expressed his disgust 
with the whole plan. 

As this is the first religious letter Miss Ruth 
Erskine ever wrote, you shall be gratified with a 
copy of it : 

u Dear Haeold : 

I am alone in the tent this evening — the girls 
have ail gone to meeting ; but I, finding it ex- 
haustive, not to say tiresome, to be so constantly 
listening to sermons, have staid at home to write 
to you. I have something to tell you which I 
know will please you. I am going to start for 
Saratoga to-morrow morning. I think I shall 
kake the 10:50 train. Now don’t you make up 
your mind to laugh at me and say that I have 
grown tired of Chautauqua sooner than any of 
the rest. It is true enough. 

“You know my mode of life and my enjoyments 
are necessarily very different from Eurie’s and 


308 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

Marion’s. Those two naturally look upon this 
place as an escape from every-day drudgery ; in 
short, as an economical place in which to enjoy 
a vacation and see a good deal of first-class so- 
ciety ; for there are a great many first-class peo- 
ple here, there is no denying that. Not many 
from our set, you know, but a great many cele- 
breties in the literary world that it is really very 
pleasant to see. 

“ I am not sorry that I came ; if for nothing else 
I am glad to have come on the girls’ account ; 
they would hardly have ventured without me, 
and it is a real treat to them. 

“ You will wonder what has become of poor lit- 
tle Flossy, and want to know whether she is go- 
ing to follow me to Saratoga as usual, but the 
little sprite refuses to go I I fancy Marion has 
been teasing her; you know she is very suscept- 
ible to ridicule, and it suits Marion’s fancy to 
imuse herself at the expense of those people 
who weary of Chautauqua. She has attempted 
something of the kind on me, but, of course I am 
indifferent to any such shafts, having been in the 
habit of leading, rather than following, all my 
life. It seems natural, I suppose, to do so still, 


A “ Sense of Duty . 


8S9 


l think well of Chautauqua. It is a good place 
for people to come who have not much money to 
spend, and who like to be in a pleasant place 
among pleasant people ; and who enjoy fine mu- 
sic, and fine lectures, and all that sort of thing, 
and are so trammelled by work and small means 
at home that they cannot cultivate these tastes. 
But, of course, all these things are no treat to 
me , and I do not hesitate to tell you that I am 
bored. There is too much preaching to suit my 
fancy — not real preaching, either, for we haven’t 
had what you could call a sermon until to-day, 
but lectures , which constantly bring the same 
theme before you. 

“ Now you are not to conclude from this that I 
do not believe in preaching, and Sunday, and all 
that sort of thing ; on the contrary, I believe 
more fully in them all than I did before I came. 
In fact I have this very afternoon come to a de- 
termination which may surprise you, and which 
is partly the occasion of my writing this letter, 
in order that you may know at once what to ex- 
pect. Harold, as soon as the season is over, and 
I get back home, I am going to unite with the 
fiiurch? Have I astonished you I I am going 


310 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

to do this from a conviction of duty. You need 
not imagine that I have been wrought up to 
such a pitch of excitement that I don’t know 
what I am about. I assure you there is nothing 
of the kind. I have simply concluded that it is 
an eminently proper thing to do. So long as 1 
believe fully in the church and in religion, and 
wish to sustain both by my money and my in- 
fluence, why should I not say so? That is a 
very simple and altogether proper way of saying 
it, and saves a good deal of troublesome explana- 
tion. I wonder that I haven’t thought of it be- 
fore. 

“ I do not mind telling you that it was some 
remarks of Marion’s that first suggested the pro- 
priety of this thing to me. You know she is an 
infidel and I am not ; and she intimated what is 
true enough, that I lived exactly as though I 
thought just as she did ; so in thinking it over I 
concluded it was true, and that my influence 
ought to be with the church in this matter. Now 
you know, Harold, that with me to decide is to 
do ; so this is as good as done. I should like it 
very well if you choose to come to the same con* 


A “ Sense of Duty” 


311 


elusion and unite at the same time that I do. I 
am sure Dr. Dennis would be gratified. I don’t 
know why we shouldn’t be willing to have it 
known where we stand ; and I know you respect 
the church and trust her as well as I do myself. 

“ I told Marion to-day “ I did not see how a 
person with brains could be an infidel,” or some- 
thing to that effect — and I don’t . I think that 
is such a silly view to take of life. Just as if 
everything could come by chance ! And if God 
did not make everything, who did ? I have no 
patience with that sort of thing, and I am glad 
to remember that you have no such tastes. 

“ By the way, are the Arnotts in Saratoga ? I 
hope not, for they are such fanatics there is no 
comfort in meeting them, and yet one has to be 
civil. 

“ Seems to me you do not enjoy the opera as 
well as usual, nor the hops either. What is the 
matter ? Do you really miss me ? If there is 
any such foolish fancy in your heart as that, pre- 
pare to enjoy yourself next week, for I shall be 
with you at every one of them after Tuesday. It 
will take me until then to get something decent 
to wear. 


312 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

“ I hear the girls coming up the hill, and I must 
leave you. 

“ Au revoir , 

“ Ruth.” 

Folding and addressing this epistle with a sat- 
isfied air, and still full of the spirit which had 
prompted her to write a religious letter, Ruth, 
finding that Marion had come in alone, and that 
Flossy and Eurie were still loitering up the hill, 
gave herself the satisfaction of communicating 
her change of views. 

“ I have been thinking a good deal about what 
you said this afternoon, Marion, and there is 
truth in it. I do not think as you do, and I 
ought to take some measures to let people know 
it. I have the most perfect respect for and con- 
fidence in religion, and I mean to prove it by 
uniting with the church. I have decided to at- 
tend to that matter as soon as I get home again 
after the season is over. I am surprised at my- 
self for not doing so before, for I certainly con- 
sider it eminently proper, in fact a duty.” 

Now, it was very provoking to have so relig- 
ious a sentence as this received in the manner 
that it was. Marion tilted her stool back against 


A “ Sense of Duty. 


813 


the bed, and gave herself up to the luxury of a 
ringing laugh. 

“ Really,” Ruth said, “ you have returned 
from church in a very hilarious mood ; something 
very funny must have happened ; it can not be 
that anything in my sentence had to do with your 
amusement.” 

“ Yes, but it has,” squealed Marion, holding her 
sides and laughing still. “ Oh, Ruthie, Ruthie, 
you will be the death of me I And so you think 
that this is religion ! You honestly suppose that 
standing up in church and having your name 
read off constitutes Christianity ! Don’t do it, 
Ruthie ; you have never been a hypocrite, and 
I have always honored you because you were not. 
If this is all the religion you can find, go without 
it forever and ever, for I tell you there is not a 
single bit in it.” 

Her laughter had utterly ceased, and her voice 
was solemn in its intensity. 

“ I don’t know what you mean in the least,” 
Ruth said, testily. “You are talking about 
something of which you know nothing.” 

“So are you. Oh, Ruthie, so are you I Yes, 
I know something about it; 1 know that you 


314 Four Girts at Chautauqua. 

haven’t reached the A, B, C, of it. Why, Rulhit 
do you remember that story this afternoon ? Dc 
you remember that little boy in the garret, how 
he turned his face to the wall and asked God to 
save him ? Have you done that ? Do you hon- 
estly think that you , Ruth Erskine, have any- 
thing to be saved from ? Don’t you know the 
little fellow said, 4 He answered .’ Has He an- 
swered you ? Why, Ruth, do you never listen 
to the church covenant? How does it read: 
4 That it is eminently fit and proper for those 
who believe that God made them to join the 
church ? ’ Ruth Erskine, you can never take 
more solemn vows upon you than you will have 
to take if you unite with the church, and I beg 
you not to do it. I tell you it means more than 
that. I had a father who was a member of the 
church, and he prayed — oh, how he prayed I 
He was the best man who ever lived on earth ! 
Every one knew he was good ; every one thought 
he was a saint ; and it seems to me as though I 
could never love any God who did not give him 
a happier lot than he had as a reward for his 
holy life. But do you think he thought himself 
good ? I tell you he felt that no one could be 


A “ Sense of Duty" 


315 


more weak and sinful and in need of saving than 
he was. Oh, I know the people who make up 
churches have more than this in them. I think 
it is all a deception, but it is a blessed one to 
have. I know these people at Chautauqua have 
it, hundreds of them. I see the same look in 
their faces that my father had in his, and if I 
could only get the same delusion into my heart 
I would hug it for my blessed father’s sake ; but 
don’t you ever go into the church and subscribe 
to these things that they will ask of you until 
you have felt the same need of help and the 
same sense of being helped that they have. If 
you do, and there is a God, I would rather stand 
my chance with him than to have yours.” 

And Marion seized her hat and rushed out into 
the night, leaving Ruth utterly dumbfounded. 




CHAPTER XXII. 



ONE MINUTE’S WORK. 


|(||ARION struck out into the darkness, car- 
ing little which way she went ; she had 
rarely been so wrought upon ; her veins seemed 
to glow with fire. What difference did it make ? 
she asked herself. If there was nothing at all in 
it, why not let Ruth amuse herself by joining the 
church and playing at religion ? It would add 
to her sense of dignity, and who would be hurt 
by it? 

There was a difficulty in the way. Turn 
where she would, it confronted Marion during 
these days. There was a solemn haunting “if” 
that would not be put down. What if all these 

things were true ? She by no means felt so as 
(316) 


One Minute's Work. 


317 


Bured as she had once done ; indeed, the founda- 
tions for her disbelief seemed to have been 
shaken from under her during the last week. 

Remember, she had never spent a week with 
Christians before in her life ; not, at least, a 
week during which she was made to realize all 
the time that they were Christians ; that they 
stood on a different platform from herself. 

Now, as she tramped about through the dark- 
ening woods, meeting constantly groups of peo- 
ple on their way home from the meeting, hear- 
ing from them snatches of what had been said 
and sung, she suddenly paused, and so vivid was 
the impression that for long afterward she could 
not think of it without feeling that a voice must 
certainly have spoken the words in her ear. Yet 
she recognized them as a sentenpe which had 
struck her from Dr. Pierce’s sermon in the morn 
in g. 

“ God honors his gospel, even though preached 
by a bad man ; honors it sometimes to the sav- 
ing of a soul. But think of a meeting between 
the two I the sinner saved and the sinner ijst, 
who was the means cf the other’s salvation.” It 
had thrilled Marion at the time, with her Jd 


318 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


questioning thrill: What if such a thing were 
possible I Now it came again. 

She stood perfectly still, all the blood seeming 
to recede from and leave her faint with the 
strange solemnity of the thought ! What if she 
had this evening been preaching the gospel to 
Ruth ! What if the words of hers should lead 
Ruth to think, and to hunt, and to find this light 
that those who were not blind — if there were 
any such — succeeded in finding ! What if, as 
a result of this, she should go to heaven ! and 
what if it were true that there was to be a judg- 
ment, and they two should meet, and then and 
there she should realize that it was because of 
this evening’s talk that Ruth stood in glory on 
the other side of the great gulf of separation I 
What kind of. a feeling would that be ? 

“ Oh, if I only knew,” she said aloud, sitting 
suddenly down on a fallen log, “ if I only knew 
that any of these things were so I or if I could 
only get to imagining that they were, I would 
take them up and have the comfort out of them 
that some of these people seem to get, for I have 
so little comfort in my life. It can not be that 
it is all a farce, such as Ruth’s horrid resolve 


One Minute's Work. 


319 


would lead one to think ; that is not the way 
that Dr. Vincent feels about it ; it is not the way 
that Dr. Pierce preached about it this morning ; 
it is not the way that man Bliss sings about it. 
There is more to it than that. My father had 
more than that. If he could only look down to- 
night and tell me whether it is so, whether he is 
safe and well and perfectly happy. Oh, it 
seems to me if I could only be sure, sure beyond 
a doubt that God did give an eternal heaven to 
my father, I could love him forever for doing 
that, even though there is a hell and I go to it.” 

Within the tent they were having talk that 
would seem to amount to very little. Even 
Eurie appeared to be subdued, and to have al- 
most nothing to say. Ruth was roused from the 
half stupor of astonishment into which Marion’s 
unexpected words had thrown her by hearing 
Flossy say, “Oh, Ruth, I forgot to tell you 
something ; Mrs. Smythe stopped at the door on 
Saturday evening before you came home; her 
party leave for Saratoga tomorrow morning, and 
she wanted to know whether any of us would 
go with them.” 

“ Did you tell her I was going? ” Ruth asked, 


820 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


quickly. It was utterly distasteful to her to 
think of having Mrs. Smythe’s company. She 
did not stop to analyze her feelings ; she simply 
shrank from contact with Mrs. Smythe and from 
others who were sure to be of her stamp. 

“No,” Flossy said, “ I did not know what you 
had decided upon; I said it was possible that 
you might want to go, but some one joined us 
just then and the conversation changed : I did 
not think of it again.” 

“ I am glad you didn’t,” Ruth said, emphatic- 
ally. “ I don’t want her society. I won’t go 
in the morning if I am to be bored with that 
party ; I would rather wait a week.” 

“ They are going in the morning train,” Eurie 
said; “I heard that tall man who sometimes 
leads the singing say so. He said there was 
quite a little party to go, among them a party 
from Clyde, who were en route for Saratoga. 
That is them, you know ; nearly all of them are 
from Clyde. 4 Oh, yes,’ the other man said ; 
‘ we must expect that. Of course there is a 
froth to all these things that must evaporate to- 
ward Saratoga, or some other resort. There is a 
class of mind that Chautauqua is too much for.’ 


One Minute' 8 Work. 


32 ] 


Think of that, Ruthie, to be considered nothing 
but froth that is to evaporate I ” 

44 Nonsense I ” Ruth said, sharply. She seemed 
to consider that an unanswerable argument, and 
in a sense it is. Nevertheless Eurie’s words had 
their effect ; she began to wish that letter un- 
written, and to wish that she had not said so 
much about Saratoga, and to wish that there 
was some quiet way of changing her plans. 

In fact, an utter distaste for Saratoga seemed 
suddenly to have come upon her. Conversation 
palled after this ; Marion came in, and the four 
made ready for the night in almost absolute 
silence. The next thing that occurred was suf- 
ficiently startling in its nature to arouse them 
all. It was one of those sudden, careless move- 
ments that this life of ours is full of, taking only 
a moment of time, and involving consequences 
that reached away beyond time, and death, and 
resurrection. 

44 Eurie,” Ruth had said, 44 where is your head- 
ache bottle that you boast so much of? I be- 
lieve I am going to have a sick headache.” 

44 In my satchel,” Eurie answered, sleepily, 
She was already in bed. 4k There is a spoon on 
that box in the corner; take a tea-spoonful.” 


322 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

Another minute of silence, then Eurie suddenly 
raised her head from the pillow and looked 
about her wildly. The dim light of the lamp 
showed Ruth, slowly pulling the pins from her 
hair. 

“Did you take it?” she asked, and her voice 
was full of eager, intense fright. “Ruth, you 
didn’t take it I ” 

“ Yes, I did, of course. What is the matter 
with you ? ” 

“It was the wrong bottle. It was the lini- 
ment bottle in my satchel. I forgot. Oh, 
Ruth, Ruth, what will we do ? It is a deadly 
poison.” 

Then to have realized the scene that followed 
you should have been there to see. Ruth gave 
one loud shriek that seemed to re-echo through 
the trees, and Eurie’s moan was hardly less ter- 
rible. Marion sprang out of bed, and was alert 
and alive in a moment. 

“Ruth, lie down; Eurie, stop groaning and 
act. What was it ? Tell me this instant.” 

“ Oh, I don’t know what it was, only he said 
that ten drops would kill a person, and she took 
a tea-spoonful.” 

“I know where the doctor’s cottage is,” said 


One Minute's Work, 


828 


Flossy, dressing rapidly. “I can go for him.’ 
And almost as soon as the words were spoken 
she had slipped out into the darkness. 

Ruth had obeyed the imperative command of 
Marion and laid herself on the bed. She was 
deadly pale, and Eurie, who felt eagerly for her 
pulse, felt in vain. Whether it was gone, or 
whether her excitement was too great to find it, 
she did not know. Meantime, Marion fumbled 
in Flossy’s trunk and came toward them with a 
bottle. 

“ Hold the light, Eurie ; this is Flossy’s liair- 
oil. I happen to know that it is harmless, and 
oil is an antidote for half the poisons in the 
world. Ruth, swallow this and keep up cour- 
age ; we will save you.” 

Down went the horrid spoonful, and Marion 
was eagerly at work chafing her limbs and rub- 
bing her hands, hurrying Eurie meantime who 
had started for the hotel in search of help and 
hot water. 

That dreadful fifteen minutes! Not one of 
them but that thought it was hours. They 
never forgot the time when they fought so cou- 
rageously, and yet so hopelessly, with death 


824 Four Chris at Chautauqua. 

Ruth did not seem to grow worse, but she 
looked ghastly enough for death to have claimed 
her for his victim ; and Flossy did not return. 
Eurie came back to report a fire made and 
water heating, and seizing a pail was about to 
start again, when her eye caught the open 
satchel, and a bottle quietly reposing there, 
closely corked and tied over the top with a bit 
of kid ; she gave a scream as loud as the first had 
been. 

“What is the matter now?” Marion said. 
“ Eurie, do have a little common sense.” 

“ She didn’t take it I ” burst forth Eurie. “ It 
is all a mistake. It was the right bottle. Here 
is the other, corked, just as I put it.” 

Before this sentence was half concluded Ruth 
was sitting up in bed, and Marion, utterly over- 
come by this sudden revulsion of feeling, was 
crying hysterically. There is no use in trying 
to picture the rest of that excitement. Suffice 
ifr to say that the events of the next hour are not 
likely to be forgotton by those who were con- 
nected with them. Eurie came back to her 
senses first, and met and explained to the people 
who had heard the alarm, and were eagerly 


One Minute's Work, 


825 


gathering with offers of help. There was much 
talk, and many exclamations of thankfulness and 
much laughter, and at last everything was grow* 
ing quiet again. 

“I can not find the doctor,” Flossy had re- 
ported in despair. “ He has gone to May ville, 
but Mr. Roberts will be here in a minute with a 
remedy, and he is going right over to Mayville 
for the doctor.” 

“ Don’t let him, I beg,” said Marion, who was 
herself again. w There is nothing more formida- 
ble than a spoonful of your hair-oil. I don’t 
know but the poor child needs an emetic to get 
rid of that. Eurie, my dear, can’t you impress 
it on those dear people that we don't want any 
hot water? I hear the fourth pail coming.” 

It was midnight before this excited group set- 
tled down into anything like quiet. But the 
strain had been so great, and the relief so com- 
plete, that a sleep so heavy that it was almost a 
stupor at last held the tired workers. 

Now, what of it all ? Why did this foolish 
mistake of bottles, which might have been a 
tragedy, and was nothing but a causeless excite- 
ment, reach so far with its results? 


826 


Four GirU at Chautauqua . 


Let me tell you of one to whom sleep did not 
come. That was the one who but half an hour 
before had believed herself face to face with 
death! What mattered it to her that it was a 
mistake, and death no nearer to her, so far as 
she knew, than to the rest of the sleeping 
world ? 

Death was not annihilated — he was only held 
at bay. She knew that he would come, and 
that there would be no slipping away when his 
hand actually grasped hers. She believed in 
death; she had supposed herself being drawn 
into his remorseless grasp. To her the experi- 
ence, so far as it had led her, was just as real as 
though there had been no mistake. 

And the result? She had been afraid! All 
her proper resolutions, so fresh in her mind, 
made only that very afternoon, had been of no 
more help to her than so much foam. She had 
not so much as remembered in her hour of terror 
whether there was a church to join. But that 
there was a God, and a judgment, and a Savior, 
who was not hers, had been as real and vivid as 
she thinks it ever can be, even when she stands 
on the very brink. 


One Minute's Work . 


327 


Oh, that long night of agony! when she tossed 
and turned and sought in vain for an hour of 
rest. She was afraid to sleep. How like death 
this sleeping was! Who could know, when 
they gave themselves up to the grasp of this 
power, that he was not the very death angel 
himself in disguise, and would give them no 
earthly awakening forever ? 

What should she do? Believe in religion? 
Yes. She knew it was true. What then? 
What had Marion said? Was that all true? 
Aye, verily it was; she knew that, too. Had 
she not stood side by side with death ? 

The hours went by and the conflict went on. 
There was a conflict. Her conscience knew 
much more than her tongue had given it credit 
for knowing that afternoon. Oh, she had seen 
Christians who had done more than join the 
church ! She had imagined that that act might 
have a mysterious and gradual change on her 
tastes and feelings, so that some time in her life, 
when she was old, and the seasons for her were 
over, she might feel differently about a good 
many things. 

But that hour of waiting for the messenger of 


828 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


death, who, she thought, had called her, had 
swept away this film. “It is not teaching in 
Sunday-school,” said her brain. “ It is not tract 
distributing ; it is not sewing societies for the 
poor ; it is not giving or going. It is none of 
these things, or any of them, or all of them, as 
the case may be, and as they come afterward. 
But first it is this question : Am I my own mis- 
tress ? do I belong to myself or to God ? will I 
do as I please or as he pleases ? will I submit my 
soul to him, and ask him to keep it and to show 
me what to do, or when and where to step ? ” 

The night was utterly spent, and the gray 
dawn of the early sweet summer morning was 
breaking into the grove, and still Ruth lay with 
wide-open eyes, and thought. A struggle ? Oh 
dear, yes I Such an one as she had never imag- 
ined. That strong will of hers, which had led 
not only herself but others, yield it, submit to 
other leadership, always to question, Is this 
right? can I go here? ought I to say that? 
What a thing to do I But it involved that ; 
she knew it, felt it. She might have been blind 
during the week past, but she was not deaf. 

How they surged over her, the sentences from 


One Minute’s Work , 


829 


one and another to whom she had listened \ 
They were not at play, these great men. What 
did it mean but that there was a life hidden 
away, belonging to Christ? She felt no love in 
her heart, no longing for love, such as poor little 
Flossy had yearned for. She felt instead that 
she was equal to life ; that the world was suffi- 
cient for her ; that she wanted the world ; but 
that the world was at conflict with God, and 
that she belonged to God, and that she should 
give herself utterly into his hands. 

Moreover, she knew there was coming a time 
when the world, and Saratoga, and the season, 
with its pleasures, would not do. There was 
grim death I — he would come. She could not 
always get away. He was coming every hour 
for somebody around her. She must — yes, she 
must get ready for him. It would not do to be 
surprised again as she had been surprised last 
right. It was not becoming in Ruth Ersldne to 
live so that the sound of death could palsy her 
limbs and blanch her cheek and make her shud- 
der with fear. She must get where she could 
say calmly: “Oh, are you here? Well, J am 
ready.” 


330 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


It was just as the sun which was rising in 
glory forced its smiles in between the thick 
leaves of the Chautauqua birds’ nests, and set 
all the little birds in a twitter of delight, that 
Ruth raised herself on her elbow and said aloud, 
and with the force that comes from a determined 
will that has decided something in which there 
has been a struggle : 


M I will do it.” 




CHAPTER XXIII. 



“ l’VE BEEN REDEEMED.” 

- HAT about Saratoga ? ” was Eurie’s first 
query as she awoke to life and talk 
again on that summer morning. “ Do you think 
you will take the 10:50 train, Ruth ? ” 

Ruth gave nothing more decided than a wan 
smile in answer, and in her heart a wonder as to 
what Eurie would think of her if she could have 
known the way in which her night was passed. 

“ She is more likely to stay in bed,” Marion 
said, looking at her critically. “ You will never 
think of trying to travel to-day, will you, Ruth ? 
Dear me ! how you look I I have always heard 
that hair oil was weakening, but I did not know 

( 331 ) 


832 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

its effects were so sudden and disastrous I ” And 
then every one of these silly girls laughed. The 
disaster of the night before had reached its irre- 
sistibly comic side — to them. Only Ruth shiv- 
ered visibly ; it was not funny to her. 

It was a very eventful day. She by no means 
relished the character of invalid that the girls 
seemed determined ought to be forced upon her 
and at the same time she had not the least idea 
of going to Saratoga. Strangely enough, that 
desire seemed to have utterly gone from her 
She had not Slept at all, but she arose and dressed 
herself as usual, with only one feeling strong 
upon her, and that was a determination to carry 
out the decision to which she had so recently 
come, and she had not the least idea how to set 
to work to carry it out. She went with the rest 
to the large tent to hear Mrs. Clark’s address to 
primary class teachers. 

“I’m not a primary class teacher, and not 
likely to be, but I am a woman, and gifted with 
the natural curiosity of that sex to know what a 
woman may have to say in so big a place as this. 
I don’t see how she dares to peep.” This was 
Eurie’s explanation of her desire to go to the re- 
ception. 


“I’ve Been Redeemed .” 333 

Ruth went because to go to meeting seemed 
Co be the wisest way that she knew of for carry- 
ing out her decision ; and a good time she had. 
She had not imagined that teaching primary 
classes was such an art, and involved so much 
time and brain as it did. She listened eagerly 
to all Mrs. Clark had to say ; she followed her 
through the blackboard lessons with surprise and 
delight, and she awoke at the close of the hour 
to the memory that, although she had been inter- 
ested as she had not imagined it possible for her 
to be on such a theme, she had done nothing 
toward her determination to make a Christian of 
herself, and that she knew no more how to go to 
work than before. 

“ When I do find out how to be one I know I 
will go to work in the Sabbath-school ; I have 
changed my mind on that point.” This she told 
herself softly as they went back to dinner. 

It was a strange afternoon to her. She be- 
came unable to interest herself heartily in the 
public services ; her own heart claimed her 
thought. It was noticeable also that for the first 
time Chautauqua chose this day in which to be 
metaphysical and scientific, to the exclusion of 


334 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

personal religion. Not that they were irrelig- 
ious, not that they for a moment forgot their po- 
sition as a great religious gathering ; but there 
was an absence of that intense personal element 
in the talk which had so offended Ruth’s taste 
heretofore, and she missed it. 

She wandered aimlessly up and down the 
aisles, listening to sentences now and then, and 
sighing a little. They were eloquent, they were 
helpful ; she could imagine herself as being in a 
state to enjoy them heartily, but just now she 
wanted nothing so much as to know what to do 
in order to give herself a right to membership 
with that great religious world. Why should 
Chautauqua suddenly desert her now when she so 
much needed its help ? 

“ If I knew a single one of these Christian peo- 
ple I would certainly ask them what to do.” 
This she said talking still to herself. She had 
come quite away from the meeting, and was 
down in one of the rustic seats by the lake side. 
It struck her as very strange that she had not in- 
timate acquaintance with a single Christian. 
She even traveled home and tried to imagine 
herself in conversation on this subject with some 


Fve Been Redeemed .” 


83 £ 


of h<n friends. To whcm could she go? Mr. 
Wayne ? Why, he wouldn’t understand her in 
the least. What a strange letter that was which 
she wrote him ! Could it be possible tnat it was 
written only yesterday ? How stiange that she 
should have suggested to him to unice with the 
church 1 How strange that she should have 
thought of it herself I 

There came a quick step behind her, and a 
voice said, '* Good-evening, Miss Erskine.” She 
turned and tried to recall the name that belonged 
to the face of the young man before her. 

“ You do not remember me ? ” he said, inquir- 
ingly. “ I was of the party who went to James- 
town on the excursion.” 

“ Oh, Mr. Flint,” she said, smiling, and hold- 
ing out her hand. “ I beg pardon for forgetting \ 
that seems about a month ago.” 

“ So it does to me ; we live fast here. Miss 
Erskine, I have been looking for your party ; I 
couldn’t find them. Isn’t Miss Shipley in your 
tent? Yes, I thought so. Well, I want to see 
her very much> I have something to tell her 
that I know will give her pleasure. Perhaps you 
would take a message for me. I want her to 


S'oo Four Grirls at Chautauqua . 

know that since last week, when she told me of 
her Friend who had become so dear to he**, I 
have found the truth of it. He is mj^ Friend 
now, and I want to thank her for so impressing 
me with a desire to know him that I could not 
give it up.” 

Ruth looked utterly puzzled. Something in 
the young man’s reverent tone, when he used the 
word “ Friend, ” suggested that he could mean 
only the Friend for whom she herself was in look- 
ing ; and yet — Flossy Shipley I What had she 
to do with him ? 

“ Do you mean,” she said, hesitatingly, and 
yet eagerly, for if he indeed meant that here 
was one for whom she had been looking ; “ do 
you mean that you have become a Christian ? ” 

“It is such a new experience,” he said, his 
face flushing, “ that I have hardly dared to call 
myself by that name ; but if to be a Christian 
means to love the Lord Jesus Christ, and to 
have given one’s self, body and soul, to his ser- 
vice, why then I am assuredly a Christian.” 

This was it. There was no time to be lost. 
She had spent one night of horror, she could not 
endure another, and the day was drawing to its 


“I've Been Redeemed . 


337 


end. To be sure she felt no terror now, but the 
night might bring it back. 

“How did you do it?” she asked, simply. 
“How?” The very simplicity of the question 
puzzled him. “ Why, I just gave myself up to 
his keeping ; I resolved to take a new road and 
follow only where he led. Miss Shipley was the 
one who first made me think seriously about 
this matter ; and then I went to the service that 
evening, and everything that was said and sung, 
was said and sung right at me. I was just 
forced into the belief that I had been a fool, and 
I wanted to be something else.” 

“ Miss Shipley I ” Ruth said, brought back by 
that name to the wonderment. “ You are mis- 
taken. You can not mean Flossy. She isn’t a 
Christian at all. She never so much as thinks 
of such things.” 

“ Oh, you are mistaken.” He said it eagerly 
and positively. “ On the contrary, she is the 
most earnest and straightforward little Christian 
that I ever met in my life. Why, I never had 
anything so come to my soul as that little sen- 
tence that she said about having found a ‘ Friend ' 
I know it is the same one. I have seen her wiie 


338 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

you since, but not near enough to address. Hei 
name is Flossy ; I heard her called so that day 
on the boat.” 

“ Flossy ! ” Ruth said it again, in a bewilder- 
ing tone, and rising as she spoke. “ I am going 
to find her ; I want to understand this mystery. 
I will give her your message, Mr. Flint, but I 
think there is a mistake.” Saying which she 
bade him a hasty good-afternoon, for the flutter 
of a scarlet shawl had reached her eyes. No 
one but Flossy wore such a wrap as that. She 
wanted to see her at once, and she didn't want 
Mr. Charlie Flint to be along. She went for- 
ward with rapid steps to meet her, and slipping 
an arm within hers, they turned and went slowly 
back over the mossy path. 

14 Flossy, I want you to tell me something. I 
have heard something so strange ; I think it is 
not so, but you can tell me. I want to know if 
you think you are a Christian? ” 

I wonder if Flossy has any idea, even now, 
how strangely Ruth’s heart beat as she asked 
that simple question. It seemed to involve a 
great deal to her. She waited for the answer. 

There was no hesitation and no indecision 


“ Tve Been Redeemed.” 


339 


about Flossy’s answer. Her cheeks took a pink 
tint, but her voice was clear. 

“I know I am, Ruth. I do not even have to 
speak with hesitancy. I am so sure that Christ 
is my Friend, and I grow so much surer of it 
every day, that I can not doubt it any more than 
I can doubt that I am walking down this path 
with you.” 

And then, again, Ruth’s astonishment was in 
part lost in that absorbing question : 

“ How did you get to be one ? ” 

“ It is a simple little story,” Flossy said. And 
then she began at the beginning and told her 
little bit of experience, fresh in her heart, dating 
only a few days back, and full to the brim with 
peace and gladness to her. 

“ But I don’t see,” Ruth said, perplexed. “ I 
don’t find out what to do. 1 want to be told 
how to do it, and none of you tell me ; you seem 
to have just resolved about it, and not done any- 
thing. I have gone so far myself. Such a night 
as last night was, Flossy ! Oh, you can never 
imagine it ! ” 

And then she told her story, as much of it as 
could be told ; of the horror and the thick dark 


340 


Four Girls at Chautauqua. 


ness that had enveloped her she could only hint. 

What an eager flash there was in Flossy’s 
bright eyes as she listened. 

“ When you said that ! ” she began, eagerly, 
as Ruth paused. “ When you said, ‘ I will do 
it.’ What then? Did you feel just as you did 
before ? ” 

“No,” Ruth said, “not at all. The night had 
gone by that time. As I looked about me I 
realized that it was daylight, and I fancied that 
my feelings were the result of a highly excited 
state of nerves. But the resolve was not to be 
accounted for in any such way. I meant that. 
The horror, though, of which I had been telling 
you was quite gone. It was as if there had been 
a fearful storm, with the constant roll of thunder, 
and suddenly a calm. I hadn’t the least feeling 
of fear or dread, and I haven’t had all day ; but 
to-night I may have the very same experience.” 

“ No, you will not,” Flossy said, her voice 
aglow with feeling and with joy. “ Oh, Ruthie, 
Ruthie ! There is no night 1 You have got be- 
yond it. I tell you, you have come into God’s 
light ! And isn’t it blessed ? You are a Chris- 
tian now.” 


“ Tve Been Reaeemed” 


841 


“But,” protested Ruth, utterly bewildered, 
“ I do not understand you, and I don’t think you 
understand yourself. In what way am I differ- 
ent from what I was yesterday ? How can I be 
lost in God’s sight one moment and accepted the 
next?” 

“ Easily ; oh, so easily ! Don’t you see ? Why, 
if I had been coaxing you for a year to give me 
something, and you had steadily refused, but if 
suddenly you had said to me, ‘Yes. I will ; I 
have changed my mind ; I will give it to you,’ 
wouldn’t there be a difference ? Wouldn’t I 
know that I was to have it? And couldn’t I 
thank you then, and tell you how glad I was, 
just the same as though I had it in my hand ? 
It is a poor little illustration, Ruthie, but it is 
true that God has been calling you all your life, 
And if you have all the time been saying ‘ No,’ 
up to that moment when you said solemnly, 
meaning it with all your heart, ‘I will,’ I tell 
you it makes a difference.” 

I can not describe to you how strangely all 
this sounded to Ruthie. Up to this moment she 
had not realized in the least that the Lord was 
asking her simply for a decision, and that hav- 


<<42 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

ing solemnly given it, the work, so far as she waft 
concerned, was done, and the new relations in- 
stantly commenced. She thought it over — that 
sudden calming of heart — that sense of resolve 
— of determination, so strong, and yet so quiet. 
She remembered what a strange day it had been. 
How she had tried to keep before her mind the 
horror of the night, and had not been able. 

She went on talking with Flossy, telling her 
about Charlie Flint, noticing the happy tears 
that glistened in Flossy’s eyes as she received 
her message, taking in the murmured words, 
“To think that Christ would honor such a fee- 
ble little witnessing as that!” and realizing even 
then that it would be very blessed to have one 
say to her, “ You have been the means of lead- 
ing me to think about this thing.” Why should 
she care, though, whether people thought about 
this thing or not ? Yesterday she didn’t. Dur- 
ing all the talk she kept up this little undertone 
of thought, this running commentary on her sud- 
den change of views and feelings, and wondered, 
and wondered , could it be possible that she was 
utterly changed ? And yet, when she came to 
think of it, wasn’t she ? Didn’t she love Christ ? 


Tve Been Redeemed .” 


343 


And then it struck her as the strangest thing in 
the world not to love him. How could any one 
be so devoid of heart as that? Why, a mere 
man, to have done one -half of what Christ had 
done for her, would have received undying love 
and service. 

As they walked they neared the stand, and 
there came just at that moment a burst of music, 
one of those strange, thrilling tunes such as none 
but the African race ever sing. The words 
were familiar, and yet to Ruth they were new : 

“ There is a fountain filled will blood, 

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins. 

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, 

Lose all their guilty stains.” 

A sinner I Was she , Ruth Erskine, a sinner? 
Yesterday she had not liked it to be called a 
prodigal. But to-day, oh yes. Was there a 
greater sinner to be found than she? How long 
she had known this story I How long she had 
known and believed of a certainty that Jesus 
Christ lived and died that she might have salva- 
tion, and yet she had never in her life thanked 
him for it ! Nay, she had spurned and scorned 


344 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

his gift ! So much worse than though she hid 
not believed it at all ! For then at least she 
could not have been said to have met him with 
the insult of indifference. 

Then the chorus swelled out on the still air. 
Only those who heard it under the trees at 
Chautauqua have the least idea how it sounded ; 
only those who hear it, as Ruth Erskine did, can 
have the least idea how it sounded to her. 

“ I’ve been redeemed, I’ve been redeemed ! ” 

Over and over the strain repeated. Now in 
clear soprano tones, and anon rolled out from 
the grand bass voices. And then the swelling 
unison : 

“ I’ve been redeemed — 

Been washed in the blood of the Lamb.” 

The girls had stopped, and almost held their 
breaths to listen. They stood in silence while 
verse after verse with its triumphant swell of 
chorus rolled out to them. The great tears 
gathered slowly in Ruth’s eyes, until, as the last 
echo died away, she turned to Flossy, and her 
voice was clear and triumphant: 


845 


“ Tve Been Redeemed ” 

“ I believe I have. Flossy, I believe I have. 
It is a glorious thought, and a wonderful one. 
It almost frightens me. And yet it thrills me 
with perfect delight. The fountain is deep 
enough for us all — for them and for me. I 
have “ been redeemed,” and if God will help me 
I will never forget it again.” 




CHAPTER XXIV. 



SWOED "THEUSTS. 

IggY the next morning it became clear to oui 
? girls that a change of programme was a 
necessity. Ruth had by no means recovered 
from her shock and the sleepless night that fol- 
lowed, and some of the comforts of invalidism 
must be found for her. At the same time she 
utterly repudiated the idea of Saratoga, which 
was now urged upon her ; it had lost its charms ; 
neither would she go home. 

“ I have decided to stay until the very last 

meeting,” she said, with quiet determination. 
( 346 ) 


Sword Thrusts. 


347 


Flossy laughed softly ; she knew what charms 
Chautauqua had taken on, but the others sup- 
posed it to be a whim, resulting from the ridicule 
she had suffered because of the Saratoga scheme. 

After many plans were discussed it was finally 
decided that Flossy and Euth should seek quar- 
ters at the hotel in Mayville, Euth coming over 
to the meetings only when her strength and liei 
fancy dictated, and having some of the luxuries 
of home about her. It seemed to fall naturally 
to Flossy’s lot to accompany her ; indeed, a bar- 
rier was in the way of either of the others being 
chosen. The hotel arrangement, when one took 
into consideration the numerous boat-rides to and 
from the ground, was by no means an econom- 
ical proceeding, and as Flossy and Euth were the 
only ones who were entirely indifferent to the 
demands of their purses, it must of necessity be 
them. 

Neither of them was disposed to demur j there 
had never been much congeniality between these 
two, but they had been friendly, and now there 
was a subtle bond of sympathy which made them 
long to be together. So, during the next morn 
ing hours, those two were engaged in packing 


848 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

their effects and preparing for a flitting to the 
Mayville House. Meantime Marion and Eurie, 
having stood around and looked on until they 
were tired, departed in search of something to 
interest them. 

“It is too early for meeting,” Marion said, 
“ There is nothing of interest until 1 1 o’clock. 
I’m sorry we missed Mrs. Clark. I like to look 
at Her and listen to her ; she is just bubbling 
oyer with enthusiasm. One can see that she 
thinks she means it. If I were a Sunday-school 
teacher I should be glad I was here, to hear her. 
I think it has been about the most helpful thing 
I have heard thus far ; helpful to those who in- 
dulge in that sort of work, I mean.” 

“ I wonder what those normal classes are like ? ” 
Eurie said, studying her programme. “We 
haven’t been to one of those, have we ? What 
do you suppose they do ? ” 

Marion shrugged her shoulders. 

“They are like work,” she said. “‘ Working 
hours,’ they are named ; and I suppose some hard 
thinking is done. If I didn’t have to teach 
school six hours out of every day at home I 
might be tempted to go in and listen to them \ 


Sword Thrusts. 


34S 


lat I came here to play, you see, and to make 
money ; they are not good to report about. Peo- 
ple who stay at home and read the reported let- 
ters don’t want to hear anything about the actual 
work ; they want to know who the speaker was 
and how he looked, and whether his gestures 
were graceful, and — if it is a lady — above all, 
how she was dressed ; if they say anything re- 
markably sarcastic or irresistibly funny you may 
venture to report it, but not otherwise, conse- 
quently reporting is easy work, if you have not 
too much conscience, because what you didn’t 
see you can make up. 

At the end of this harangue she paused sud- 
denly before a tent, whence came the sound of a 
firm and distinct voice. 

“ What is this ? ” she said, and then she lifted a 
bit of the canvas and peeped in. “ I’m going in 
here, after all,” she said, withdrawing her head 
and explaining. “ This is a normal class, I guess. 
That man from Philadelphia — what is his name ? 
Tyler? Yes, that is it — J. Bennet Tyler — is 
leading. I like him ; I like his voice ever so 
much ; he makes you hear, whether you want to 


350 Four Gciris at Chautauqua . 

or not. Then, someway, you get a kind of a no* 
tion that he not only believes what he says but 
chat he knows it is so, and that is all there is 
about it. I like to meet such people now and 
then, because they are so rare. Generally pec 
pie act as though you could coax them out oi 
their notions in about twenty minutes if you 
tried — when they are talking about religious 
subjects, I mean. Obstinacy is not so rare a 
trait where other matters are concerned. Let’* 
go in.” 

“ What is the subject this morning ? ” Eurie 
asked, following her guide around to the entrance, 
somewhat reluctantly. She was in no mood for 
shutting herself inside a tent, and being obliged 
to listen whether she wanted to or not. But 
Marion was in one of her positive moods this 
morning, and must either be followed or deserted 
altogether. 

Mr. Tyler was reading from a slip of paper as 
they entered. This was the sentence he read: 

“ Difficulties in interpretation which arise from 
certain mental peculiarities of the student. Some 
minds, and not by any means the strongest or 


Sword Thrusts. 


851 


noblest, must always see the reason for every- 
thing.” 

Marion gave Eurie a sagacious nod of the 
head. 

“Don’t you see?” she said. “Now, by the 
peculiar way in which he read that, he made be- 
lieve it was me he meant. And, by the way, I’m 
not sure but he is correct. I must say that 1 
like a reason for things. But what right has he 
to say that that is an indication of a weak mind ? ” 

“ He didn’t say so,” whispered Eurie. 

“ Oh, yes he did ; it amounted to that. There 
is where his peculiar use of words comes in. 
That man has studied words until he handles 
them as if they were foot-balls, and were to go 
exactly where he sent them.” 

“ He is looking this way. The next thing you 
know he will throw some at us for whispering.” 

This was Eurie ’s attempt to quiet Marion’s 
tongue. That or some other influence had the 
desired effect. She whispered no more, and it 
was apparent in a very few minutes that she had 
become intensely interested in the theme and in 
the way it was being handled. An eager exam- 
ination of the programme disclosed what she be 


552 


Four G-irls at Chautauqua. 


gan to suspect, that the subject was, “ Difficul- 
ties in the Bible.” Her intellectual knowledge 
of the Bible was considerable ; and having read it 
ever since she could remember, with the express 
purpose of finding difficulties, it was not surpris- 
ing that she had found them. 

Something, either in the leader’s manner of 
drawing out answers, or the peculiar emphasis 
with which he contrived to invest certain words, 
had the effect to cause Marion to feel as though 
she had been very superficial in her reasoning 
and childish in her objections. She grew eager 
her brain, accustomed to work rapidly and fol- 
low trains of thought closely, enjoyed the keen 
play of thought that was being drawn forth. 

But there was more than that ; almost uncon- 
ciously to herself this subject was assuming vital 
proportions to her ; she did not even herself re- 
alize the intensity of the cry in her heart, “ If I 
only knew whether these were so I ” Presently 
the voice which had once before struck her as 
being so peculiar in its personality sounded dis- 
tinctly down the long tent. 

“ Remember the conditions under which the 
Bible promises clear apprehension of the truth.” 


Sword Thrusts. 


353 


It chanced — at least that is the way in which 
we use language — it chanced that Mr. Tyler’s 
eyes as he repeated these words rested on Marion. 
Speaking of it afterward she said : 

“ So far as the impression made on me was con- 
cerned, it was the same as though he had said : 
‘ Do you understand what an idiot you have been 
not to take that cardinal point into consideration 
at all ? Open your Bible and read, and see how 
like a weak-minded babe you are.’ ” 

Beside her lay a Bible just dropped by some 
one who had been called out. Following out 
the impulse of the mofhent she turned to the ref 
erence, and her clear voice gave it distinctly : 

“ If any man will do his will, he shall know of 
the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I 
speak of myself.” 

The effect of this simple, straightforward and 
reasonable proposition, on sounding back to her 
spoken by her own voice, was tremendous. V ery 
Little more of the talk did she hear. A thrust, 
from God’s own sword had reached her. What 
a fool she had been ! What right had she to 
presume to give an opinion before applying the 
test? Had not the most common-place state- 


354 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

ments a right to be tried bv their own tests? 
Yet she had never given this simple direction a 
thought. 

So this was the Bible promise ? “ He shall 

know.” Not that these things are so, but a more 
logical, more satisfactory statement to the nat- 
ural heart. He shall judge for himself whether 
these things be so ; follow the directions, and 
then judge by your experiences after that 
whether these things be true or false. Could 
anything be more reasonable ? 

“ I shall never dare to say that I don’t believe 
the Bible again, for fear some one will ask me 
whether I have applied the test, and if I have 
not what business have I to judge. That man 
now, if I should come in contact with him, which 
I shall endeavor not to do, would be sure to ask 
me. He has almost the same as asked it now, 
before all these people. He has a mysterious 
way of making me feel as though be was talking 
for my confusion and for nobody else.” 

This Marion told to herself as she eyed the 
leader, half sullenly. He had strangely disturbed 
her logic and set her refuge in ruins. 

“ Let’s go,” she said suddenly to Eurie. “ I 


Sword Thrusts . 


355 


am tiled of this ; I have had enough, and more 
than enough.” But the hour was over, and she 
had had all that was to be secured from that 
source. 

All the younger portion of the congregation 
seemed to be rushing back up the hill again, and 
inquiry developed the fact that Mrs. Clark was 
to meet the primary workers in the large tent. 
It was wonderful how many people chose to con- 
sider themselves primary workers? At least 
they rushed to this meeting, a great army of 
them, as though their one object in life, was to 
learn how successfully to teach the little ones. 
Our girls all met together in the tent. Ruth 
and Flossy had finished their preparations, but 
had concluded to wait until afternoon service. 

“ I declare if you are not aimed with a pencil 
and paper. Have you been seized with a mania 
for taking notes?” This Eurie said to Ruth. 
“ Now I’m going to get out my note book too. 
Here is a card — it will hold all I care to write 
1 dare say. Let me see, who knows but I shall 
go to teaching in Sabbath-school one of these 
days I I am going to make a list of the things 
which according to Mrs. Clark, we shall need.’ 


356 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

True to her new fancy, she scribbled industri- 
ously during the session, and showed her card 
with glee as they left the tent. 

“ I’ye a complete list,” she said. “ If any of 
you go into the business I can supply you with 
the names of the necessary tools. Look ! 

“ A blackboard. 

“ A picture roll. 

“ A punch I 

“ Cards. 

“ Brains I 

“ Blank book. 

“ Children. 

“ More brains I 

“ That last item,” she said, reflectively, “ is the 
hardest to find. I had no idea so much of that 
material was necessary. Now let me see what is 
on your papers.” This even Marion stoutly re- 
sisted. And Flossy quietly hid hers in her 
pocket, saying with a smile : 

“Mine is simply a list of things needful for 
such work.” 

If she had shown her paper it would have as- 
tonished Eurie, and it might have done her good. 
This was what she had written : 


Sword Thrusts. 


85 J 


“What I need in order to be a successful 
teacher. 

“ Such a forgetfullness of self as shall lead me 
to think only of the little ones and their needs. 

“ Such a love for Christ as shall lead me to 
long after every little soul to lead it to him.” 

As for Marion her paper contained simply this 
sentence, carefully written out in German text 
as if she had deliberated over each letter; 

“ If any man will do his will, he shall know 
of the doctrine, whether it be of God.” 

They went in a body to hear Dr. Hatfield. 

“ I want that lecture,” Marion said, “ 1 Perils 
of the Hour.’ I’m very anxious to know what 
my peril is. I know just what is hovering over 
every one of you, but I can’t quite make up my 
mind as to my own state. Perhaps the distin- 
guished gentleman can help me.” 

And he did. He had selected for one of the 
perils that which was embodied in the following 
i inging sentence : 

“ The third peril is the prevelancy of skeptic- 
ism. A class of scientists have discovered that 
there is no God ! What the fool said in his heart 
they proclaimed on the house-top I ” 


358 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

Eurie looked over at her, smiling and mis- 
chievous, and said in anything but a softly whis> 
per, “ That means you, my dear.” 

But Marion did not hear her; she was ab- 
sorbed in the intense scathing sentences that fol- 
lowed. Of one thing she presently felt assured, 
that whoever was right or whoever was wrong 
in this matter, Dr. Hatfield believed with all the 
intensity of an intense educated intellect that 
God ruled. Was it probable that he had met 
the condition, done his will, and so knew of the 
doctrine ? That was an hour to be remembered. 
Eurie ceased to whisper or to frolic ; there was 
too much intensity, about the speaker’s manner 
not to claim her attention. She listened as she 
was not in the habit of listening. She could 
give you a detailed account even now of that 
hour of thought ; so could I, and I am awfully 
tempted ; but, you see, it is only Tuesday, and 
the girls have six more days to spend at Chau* 
tauqua. 

Both Ruth and Flossy got their crumb to 
think over. They discussed it at the hotel that 
evening. 

“ I tell you, Flossy, if Dr. Hatfield is correct 


Sword Thrust *. 


S59 


you and I have tremendous changes to make in 
our way of spending the Sabbath ; and I have 
actually prided myself on the way in which I 
respected the day ! ” 

And Ruth laughed as if that were so strange 
a thought, now that it was hardly possible to 
think that she could have entertained it. 

“ I know,” Flossy said ; “ and he can not but 
be right, for he proved his position. I am glad 
I heard that address. But for him, I know I 
should never have thought of my influence in 
some places where I now see I can use it. Ruth 
you will be struck with one thing. Now, Chau- 
tauqua is like what Madame C’s school might 
have been, so far as study is concerned. Every 
day I have a new lesson, one that startles me so ! 
I feel that there must be some mistake, or I 
would have heard of or thought of some of these 
things before. And yet they sound so reason- 
able when you come to think them over, that 
presently I am surprised that I have not felt 
them before. Ruthie, do you think Eurie and 
Marion have any interest at all ? ” 

“ No,” said Ruth, positively, “ I know Marion 


%‘0 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

hasn’t. It was only the other evening that she 
talked more wildly if anything than before.” 

About this time Marion, alone in her tent, said 
again, as she had said a dozen times during the 
last few days : “ If I only knew ! ” And this 
time she added, “ If I only knew how to know I ” 





CHAPTER XXV. 

SERMONS IN CHALK, 


[OW, see here, Marion Wilbur, wake up 
and give me your attention. I want to 
make a speech ; I’ve caught the infection. It’s 
queer in a place where there is so much speech- 
making done that I can’t have a chance to ex- 
press my views.” 

“ I’m all attention,” Marion answered, turning 
on her pillow, and giving Eurie a sleepy stare. 
“ What has moved you to be eloquent ? Give 
me the subject.” 

“ The subject is the reflex influence of preach- 
( 361 ) 


362 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

ing I It may have different effects on different 
natures. Its eflect on mine has been marked 
enough. I’m thoroughly surfeited. I don’t 
want to hear another sermon while I am here, 
and I don’t mean to. They are all sermons. 
The subject may be scientific, literary or artistic, 
and it amounts to the same thing ; they contrive 
to row around to the same spot from whatever 
point they start. Now, I came here for fun, and 
I’m being literally cheated out of it. So the ap- 
plication of my remark is, I’ve learned since I 
have been here always to have an application to 
everything, and this time it is that I won’t go 
any more. I’ve studied the programme care- 
fully, and I have selected just what I am going 
to do. That Mrs. Knox has a reception this 
morning. I’ve heard about her before ; she is 
awfully in earnest, and awfully good. Oh, I 
haven’t the least doubt of it ; but, you see, I 
don’t want to be good, nor to have such an un- 
comfortable amount of goodness about me.” 

“ She is said to be one of the most successful 
Sabbath-school teachers here ; and I heard a 
gentleman say last night that her primary class 
was a regular training school for young ladies in 


Sermons in Chalk . 


363 


Christian work. You know she has ever so 
many teachers under her.” 

“ I can’t help that. I am not one of them, I 
im thankful to say. What do I care whether 
die is successful or not ? That won’t help me 
my. I know all about her. They say the 
poung ladies in her classes are invariably con- 
verted before they have been under her in- 
fluence long. So if you want to be converted 
you have only to go to Elmira and join her 
class ; but as for me, I am not in the mood for 
that experience yet, and I am not going nej\r 
her.” 

“ What are you going to do then ? ” 

“ Just what I please I That is what I came 
for. Just think of the absurdity of we four 
girls rushing to meeting at the rate we have 
been doing for the last week. What do you 
suppose the people at home would think of us ? 
Why, I didn’t expect to hear any of their ser- 
mons when I came. I as good as promised 
Flossy that I would frolic about with her all the 
time, and now the absurd little dunce acts as if 
she were under a wager to be on the ground 
every time the bell rings ! I’ve declared off. J 


364 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

can tell you to an item just what I am going to 
hear. There is a performance to come off thi& 
afternoon some time that I shall be ready for. 
I loitered behind the King tent last night, and 
heard him say so. That Frank Beard is going 
to give his chalk talK — caricatures : that I shall 
hear, and especially see . It will be hard work 
to poke a sermon into that. I guess that is to 
be this afternoon; it is to be some time soon, 
anyway, and I shall watch for it. Then there is 
to be another extra. Mrs. Miller is going to 
read a story. I can give you the title of it. I 
didn’t sit on that horrid stump in the dark lis- 
tening to Dr. Vincent for nothing. It is to be 
4 Three Blind Mice.’ Now it stands to reason 
that a story with such a title will not be very 
far above my intellectual capacity, and it can't 
very well develop into a sermon, or close with a 
prayer-meeting. Then I’m going to the concert 
by the Tennesseeans ; ’ their jargon won’t hurt 
me ; and, of course, I shall attend the Presi- 
dent’s reception. I must have a stare at him — 
and that is every solitary meeting I am going to 
attend. I’ve heard the last preaching that I 
mean to for some time.” 


Sermons in Chalk . 


365 


Now this was what Eurie Mitchell said. Let 
aie tell you a little bit about what she thought. 
She was by no means so indifferent, nor so bored 
as she would have Marion understand. She was 
by no means in the state of mind that Ruth had 
been, or that Marion was. No doubts as to the 
general truth of all the vital doctrines of Christ- 
ianity had ever troubled her. She accepted 
without question the belief of the so-called 
Christian World. Neither was she bewildered 
as to what constituted Christian life. No vague 
notion that to unite herself with some church 
would let her into the charmed circle had ever 
befogged her brain. 

On the contrary, she knew better than many 
a Christian does just what the Christian profes- 
sion involved, and just how narrow a path ought 
to be walked by those professing to follow 
Christ. In proportion to the keenness of her 
sarcasm over blundering, stumbling Christians, 
had her eyes been open to what they ought to 
be. 

There was just this the matter with Eurie. 
She knew so well what religious professions in- 
volved that she wanted to make none. She 


366 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

hated the thought of self-abnegation, of bridling 
her eager tongue, of going only where her en- 
lightened conscience said a Christian should go, 
of looking out for and calling after others to go 
with her. She wished deliberately to ignore it 
all. Not forever, she would have been shocked 
at the thought. Some time she meant to give 
intense heed to these things, and then indeed 
the church should see what a Christian could be I 
But not now. 

There were a hundred things laid down in her 
programme for the coming winter that she knew 
perfectly well were not the things to do or say, 
provided she were a Christian, and she deliber- 
ately wished to avoid the fear of becoming one. 
Just here she was afraid of the influence of 
Chautauqua. 

How was it possible to attend these meetings, 
to listen to these daily, hourly addresses, teeming 
either directly or indirectly with the same 
thought, personal consecration, without feeling 
herself drawn within the circle? She would 
not be drawn. This was her deliberate conclu- 
sion, therefore her determination. 

It was almost well for her that she could not 


Sermons in Chalk. 


867 


realize on what fearfully dangerous ground she 
was treading ! I wonder if those over whom 
the Lord says, “ Let them alone,” are ever con- 
scious at the time that the order has gone forth, 
and that they are to feel their consciences press- 
ing home this matter no more ? 

“ Well,” said Marion, after turning this resolu- 
tion over in her mind for a few minutes, “ I dare 
say you will lose a good many things worth hear- 
ing ; but I have nothing to do with that — only I 
want you to go with me up to hear Mrs. Knox 
this morning. I’ve got to go, for I promised es- 
pecially to report her for the teachers at home, 
and it is stupid to go alone. She won’t preach, 
and she won’t bore you, and I want you to help 
me remember items.” 

So, much against her will, Eurie was coaxed 
into this departure from her programme, and 
came back from the meeting in intense disgust. 

“Talk about her not preaching,” she said, vent- 
ing her annoyance on Marion while she energet- 
ically brushed her hair. “Every fold of her 
dress preached a sermon I She makes me ache 
all over, she is so powerfully in earnest ; and didn’t 
she hint what angels of goodness those girls o. 


868 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

hers were — those teachers! I’d like to know 
how they could be anything else but good with 
such an example at hand. Just think, Marion, 
of having the brains that that woman has, and 
the energy and tact and the skill of a general, 
and then forcing it into a Sunday-school class 
room for the teaching of a hundred little dots 
that have just tumbled out of their cradles ! ” 

“ Well, if she teaches them to tumble out on 
the right side so that they will come up grand 
men and women, what then? Isn’t that an am- 
bition worthy of her ? ” 

“ Stuff and nonsense ! Don’t you go to preach- 
ing. I shall go and drown myself in the lake if 
I hear any more of it, and then one worthless 
person will be out of the way. But don’t you 
dare to ask me to go and hear that woman again ! 
I won’t give up my plans in life for hers, and 
siie needn’t hint it to me. And, Marion Wilbur, 
I am not going to listen to another man or woman 
who has the least chance to fire words right at 
me — now mark my words.” 

Full of this determination she carried it out 
during the afternoon, until the hour for Frank 
Beard’s caricatures ; then, secure from fear of 



She must decide at once 
























































































































































Sermons in Chalk . 


309 


a sermon, she came gayly down and considered 
herself fortunate to secure a seat directly in 
front of the stand and in full view of the black- 
board. If you have never seen Frank Beard 
make pictures you know nothing about what a 
good time she had. They were such funny pict- 
ures ! — -just a few strokes of the magic crayon 
and the character described would seem to start 
into life before } 7 ou, and you would feel that you 
could almost know what thoughts were passing 
in the heart of the creature made of chalk. Eu- 
rie looked, and listened, and laughed. The old 
deacon who thought the Sunday-school was be- 
ing glorified too much had his exact counterpart 
among her acquaintances, so far as his looks 
were concerned. The three troublesome Sun- 
day-school scholars fairly convulsed her by their 
life-like appearance. There was the little scamp 
of a boy who was revealed by the dozen to an} r 
one who took a walk down town toward the close 
of the day ; the argumentative old man, with 
his nose pointing out a flaw in your reasoning or 
on the keen scent for a mistake ; and the pert 
fourteen-year-old girl whose very nose, as it 


370 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

slightly turned upward, showed that she knew 
more than all the logicians and theologians in the 
world. 

This entertainment was exactly in Eurie’s line. 
If there was anything in the world that she was 
an adept at it was looking up weak points in the 
characters of other people ; and when the silly 
girl with but two ideas — one of them bows and 
the other beaux — lived and breathed before her 
on the blackboard her delight reached its climax. 

“ She is the very picture of Nettie Arnold ! ” 
she whispered to Marion. “ When I go home I 
mean to tell her that her photograph was dis- 
played at Chautauqua. She is just vain enough 
to believe it ! ” 

Still the fun went on. Just a few bold, rapid 
strokes, and some caricature breathed before 
them, so real that the character was guessed, be- 
fore the explanation was given, and the ground 
rang with continued and overpowering roars of 
laughter. 

Into the midst of this entertainment came Dr. 
Vincent, his face aglow with the exertion of 
hearty laughter, every feature of it expressive of 


Sermons in Chalk . 


371 


his hearty appreciation of this hour of recreation 
and yet every feature alive and alert with a 
higher and more enduring feeling. 

“ Frank,” he said, laying a friendly hand on 
the artist’s arm, “ our time is almost up. Give 
us the symbol of the teacher’s work.” 

There was an instant of rapid motion, a few 
skillful lines, and it needed no word of explana- 
tion to recognize the great family Bible. 44 Now 
the symbol of the teacher’s hope,” and on one 
page of the open Bible there flashed an anchor. 

44 Now the symbol of his reward,” and lo, there 
rose up before them the solid wall, built brick 
by brick. Dr. Vincent’s voice was almost husky 
with feeling, so suddenly had the play of his emo- 
tions changed, as he said : 44 Now we want the 

the foundation.” 

How did Frank Beard do it with a dull col- 
ored crayon and a half-dozen movements of his 
skillful arm? How can I tell, except that God 
has given to the arm wondrous skill ; but there 
appeared before that astonished multitude a 
foundation as of granite, and there rose from it, 
as if suddenly hewed out before them, a clean- 
cut solid shaft of gray, imperishable granite. 


<372 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

One more dash of the wondrous crayon and the 
shaft was done — a solid cross I 

Prof. Sherwin was sitting, for want of a bet- 
ter position, on the floor of the stand. It was 
the only available space. He had been looking 
and enjoying as only men like Prof. Sherwin 
can ; and now, as he watched the outgrowth of 
this wonderful cross, as the last stroke was given 
that made it complete, and a sound like a sub^ 
dued shout of joy and triumph murmured through 
the crowd, moved as by a sudden mighty im- 
pulse that he could not control, his splendid 
voice burst forth in the glorious words : 

“ Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 

Let me hide myself in Thee.” 

And that great multitude took it up and rolled 
che tribute of praise down those resounding aisles 
until people bowed themselves, and some of them 
wept softly in the very excess of their joy and 
thanksgiving. It was all so sudden, so unex- 
pected ; yet it was so surely the key-note to the 
Chautauqua heart, and fitted in so aptly with 
their professions and intentions. They could 


Sermons in Chalk . 


Sib 

play for a few minutes — none could do it with 
better hearts or more utter enjoyment than these 
same splendid leaders — but how surely theii 
hearts turned back to the main thought, the 
main work, the main hope, in life and in death. 

As for Eurie, she will not be likely to forget 
that sermon. It almost overpowered her. 
There came over her such a sudden and eager 
longing to understand the depths from whence 
such feeling sprung, to rest her feet on the same 
foundation, that for the moment her heart gave 
a great bound and said : “ It is worth all the 

self-denial and all the change of life and plans 
which it would involve. I almost think I want 
that rather than anything else.” That misera- 
ble “ almost I ” I wonder how many souls it has 
shipwrecked? The old story. If Eurie had 
been familiar with her Bible it would surely 
have reminded her of the foolish listener who 
said, while he trembled under the truth, “ Almost 
thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” 

Shall I tell you what came in, just then and 
there, to influence her decision ? It was such a 
miserable little thing — nothing more than the 
remembrance of certain private parties that 


>74 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

were a standing institution among “ tlieir set ” 
at home, to meet fortnightly in each other’s par* 
lors for a social dance. Not a ball ! oh, no, not 
at all. These young ladies did not attend balls, 
unless occasionally a charity ball, when a very se- 
lect party was made up. Simply quiet evenings 
among special friends, where the special amuse- 
ment was dancing. 

“ Dear me ! ” you say, “lama Christian, and 
I don’t see anything wrong in dancing. Why, I 
dance at private parties very often. What was 
there in that thought that needed to influence 
her?” 

Oh, well, we are not arguing, you know. This 
is simply a record of matters and things as they 
occurred at Chautauqua. It can hardly be said 
to be a story, except as records of real lives of 
course make stories. 

But Eurie was not a Christian, you see ; and 
however foolish it may have been in her she had 
picked out dancing as one of the amusements not 
fitting to a Christian profession. It is a queer 
fact, for the cause of which I do not pretend to 
account, but if you are curious, and will investi- 
gate this subject, you will find that four fifths of 


Sermons in Chalk . 


375 


the people in this world who are not Christians 
have tacitly agreed among themselves that dan- 
cing is not an amusement that seems entirely 
suited to church-members. If you want to get 
at the reason for this strange prejudice, question 
some of them. Meantime the fact exists that 
Eurie felt herself utterly unwilling to give up the 
leadership of those fortnightly parties, and that 
the trivial question actually came in then and 
there, while she stood looking at that picture of 
the cross ; and in proportion as her sudden con- 
viction of desire lost itself in this whirl of in- 
tended amusement did her disgust arise at the 
thought that she had been actually betrayed into 
listening to another sermon I 




CHAPTER XXVI. 


“ THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM.” 



lARION went alone to the services the 
next morning. It was in vain that she 
assured Eurie that Miss Morris was going to 
conduct one of the normal classes, and that she 
had heard her spoken of as unusually sparkling. 
Eurie shook her head. 

“ Go and hear her sparkle, then, by all means 
I won’t. Now that’s a very inelegant word to 
use, but it is expressive, and when I use it you 
may know that I mean it ; I am tired of the 
whole story, and I have been cheated times 
enough. Look at yesterday I It was a dozen 
prayer-meetings combined. No, I don’t get 
caught this morning.” 

“ But the subject is one that will not admit 
(376) 


Their Works Do Follow Them:' 37\ 


of sermonizing and prayer-meetings this morn- 
ing,” Marion pleaded ; “ I am specially interested 
it. It is 4 How to win and hold attention.’ 
If there is anything earthly that a ward scliool- 
feacher needs to know it is those two items. I 
expect to get practical help.” 

“You needn’t expect anything earthly; this 
crowd have nothing to do with matters this side 
of eternity. As for the subject not admitting 
of sermonizing, look at the subject of blackboard 
caricatures. What came of that ? ” 

So she went her way, and Marion, who had 
seen Miss Morris and had been attracted, looked 
her up with earnest work in view. She had an 
ambition to be a power in her school-room. 
\Vh 3 r should not this subject help her ? 

The tent was quite full, but she made her way 
to a corner and secured a seat. Miss Morris was 
apparently engaged in introducing herself and 
apologizing for her subject. 

“ I tried to beg off,” she said ; “ I told them 
that the subject and I had nothing in common ; 
that I was a primary class teacher, and in that 
line lay my work. But there is no sort of use 
in trying to change Dr. Vincent’s mind about 


378 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

anything, so I had to submit. But for once in 
my life I remind myself of Gough. I once 
overheard him in conversation with a committee 
on lectures. They were objecting to having him 
lecture on temperance, and pressing him to name 
some other subject. ‘ Choose what subject you 
please, gentlemen, 5 he said at last, ‘ and I’ll lect- 
ure on it, but remember what I say will be on 
temperance. 5 So they have given me this sub- 
ject and I have engaged to take it, but I want 
you to remember that what I say will be on pri- 
mary class-teaching. 55 

By this time Miss Morris had the sympathy 
of her audience, and had awakened an interest 
to see how she would follow out her programme, 
and from first to last she held their attention. 
Certain thoughts glowed vividly. I don’t know 
who else they influenced, but I knew they roused 
and startled Marion, and will have much to dr 
with her future methods of teaching. 

“ Remember, 5 ’ said the speaker, “ that you can 
not live on skim -milk and teach cream ! ” The 
thought embodied in that brief and telling sen- 
tence was as old as time, and Marion had heard 
it as long ago as she remembered anything, but 
it never flashed before her until that moment. 


u Their Works Do Follow Them” 379 


What an illustration ! She saw herself teach- 
ing her class in botany to analyze the flowers, to 
classify them, to fell every minute item concern- 
ing them, and she taught them nothing to say 
concerning the Creator. Was this “skim-milk’ 
teaching ? She knew so many ways in which, 
did she but have this belief concerning heaven, 
and Christ, and the judgment, in her heart, she 
could impress it upon her scholars. She had 
aimed to be the very cream of teachers. Was 
she? She came back from her reverie, or, 
rather, her self-questioning, to hear Miss Morris 
say: 

“ Why, one move of your hand moves all cre- 
ation I and as surely does one thought of your 
soul grow and spread and roll through the uni- 
verse. Why, you can’t sit in your room alone, 
and think a mean thought, or a false thought, 
or an unchristian thought, without its influencing 
not only all people around you, not only all peo- 
ple in all the universe, but nations yet unborn 
must live under the shadow or the glory that the 
thought involves.” 

Bold statements these ! But Marion could 
follow her. Intellectually she was thoroughly 


380 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

posted. Had she not herself used the illustra- 
tion of the tiny stream that simpered through 
the home meadow and went on, and on, and on. 
until it helped to surge the beaches of the ocean ? 
But here was a principle involved that reached 
beyond the ocean, that ignored time, that sought 
after eternity. Was she following the stream? 
Could she honestly tell that it might not lead 
to a judgment that should call her to account foi 
her non-religious influence over her scholars? 
Marion was growing heavy-hearted ; she wanted 
at least to do no harm in the world if she could 
do no good. But if all this mountain weight of 
evidence at Chautauqua proved anything, it 
proved that she was living a life of infidelity, for 
the influence of which she was to be called into 
judgment. 

No sort of u&e to comfort herself with the 
thought that she talked of her peculiar views to 
no one ; it began to be evident that the things 
which she did not do were more startling than 
the things which she did. 

On the whole, no comfort came to her troubled 
soul through this morning session. To herself 
she seemed precisely where she was when she 


Their Works Do Follow Them." 381 


went into that tent, only perhaps a trifle more 
impressed with the solemnity of all things. 

But, without knowing it, a great stride had 
been taken in her education. She was not again 
to be able to say : “ I injure no one with my be- 
lief ; I keep it to myself.” “ No man liveth to 
himself.” 

The verse came solemnly to her as she went 
out, as though other than human voice were re- 
minding her of it, and life began to feel like an 
overwhelming responsibility that she could not 
assume. When one begins to feel that thought 
in all its force the next step is to find one who 
will assume the responsibility for us. She met 
Ruth on her way up the hill. 

“ Flossy has deserted me,” Ruth explained as 
they met ; “ Eurie carried her away to take a 
walk. Are you going to hear about John Knox ? 
[ am interested in him chiefly because of the 
voice that is to tell of him to-day ; I like Dr. 
Hurlburt ” 

Marion’s only reply was : “ I don’t see but you 
come to meeting quite as regularly, now that 
you are at the hotel, as you did when on the 
grounds.” 


382 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

Then they went to secure their seats. \ am 
not to attempt to tell you anything about :ne 
John Knox lecture ; indeed I have given i ver 
telling more about the Chautauqua addresses. 
It is of no sort of use. One only feels like be- 
moaning a failure after any attempt to repeat 
such lectures as we heard there. Besides, I am 
chiefly interested at present in their effect on 
our girls. 

They listened — these two, and enjoyed as 
people with brains must necessarily have done. 
But there was more than that to it ; there were 
consequences that will surely be met again at 
the last great day. 

Ruth, as she walked thoughtfully away, said 
to herself : “ That is the way. Live the truth. 
It is a different day, and the trials and experi- 
ences are different, but life must be the same. 
It is not the day for half-way Christianity nor 
for idling ; I will be an earnest Christian, or I 
will not dishonor the name and disgrace the 
memory of such men as Knox by claiming to be 
of their faith.” 

While Marion, as she turned her flushed 
cheeks hastily away from Ruth, nut willing to 


“ Their Works Do Follow Them.” 383 


show one who knew nothing about this matter, 
save that it was expedient to join a church, had 
gotten one foot set firmly toward the rock. 

“ The power that enabled that man to five 
that life was certainly of God,” she thought. 
“ It must be true. God must be in communi- 
cation with some of the souls that have lived. 
Is he now, and can I be one of them ? Oh, I 
wonder if there are a favored few who have 
shone out as grand lights in the world and have 
gone up from the world to their reward ? And 
I wonder if there is no such thing now ? If the 
blundering creatures who call themselves by his 
name are nothing but miserable imitations of 
what was once real ? 

“ Such lives as that one can understand ; but 
how can I ever believe that Deacon Cole’s life 
is molded by the same influence, or, indeed, that 
mine can be ? Must I be a Deacon Cole Christ- 
ian if I am one at all ? ” 

The afternoon clouded over, and a mincing 
little rain began to fall. Marion stood in the 
tent door and grumbled over it. 

“ I wanted to hear that Mr. Hazard,” she said ; 
“I rather fancy his face, and I fancy the name 


o84 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

of his subject. I had a curiosity to see what he 
would do with it, and here is this rain to hin- 
der.” 

Ruth and Flossy had come oyer for the day, 
and were waiting in the tent. 

“ Haven’t you been at Chautauqua long 
enough to catch one of its cardinal rules, never 
to stay at home for rain ? ” Flossy said. 

Marion looked around at her. She was put- 
ting on her rubbers. 

“ Are you really going ? ” She asked the 
question in great surprise. “ Why, Flossy, it is 
going to rain hard ! ” 

“ What of it ? ” said Flossy, lightly. “ I have 
waterproof, and rubbers, and umbrella, and if it 
gets to be too wet I can run to a tent.” 

“ If you were at home you wouldn’t think of 
going to church. Why, Flossy Shipley, I never 
knew you to go out in the rain I I thought 
you were always afraid you would spoil your 
clothes.” 

i 

“ That was because I had none already spoiled 
to wear,” Flossy answered, cheerily; “but that 
difficulty is obviated ; I have spoiled two dresses 
since I have been hare. This one now is indif- 


u Their Works Do Follow Them .” 885 


ferent to the rain, and will be for the future. 1 
have an improvement on that plan, though; I 
mean to have a rainy -day dress as soon as I get 
home. Come, it is time we were off.” 

“ I believe I am a dunce,” Marion said, slowly. 
“ I think it is going to rain hard ; but as I have 
to go, at home, whether it rains or shines, I sup- 
pose I can do it here. But if this were a congre- 
gation of respectable city Christians, instead of 
a set of lunatics, there wouldn’t be a dozen out.” 

They found hundreds out, however. Indeed, 
it proved to be difficult to secure seats. That 
address was heard under difficulties. In the 
first place it would rain ; not an out-and-out 
hearty shower, that would at once set at rest the 
attempt to hold an out-door meeting, but an ex- 
asperating little drizzle, enlivened occasionally 
by a few smart drops that seemed to hint busi- 
ness. There was a constant putting up of um 
brellas and putting them down again. There 
was a constant fidgeting about, and getting up 
and sitting down again, to let some of the more 
nervous ones who had resolved upon a decided 
rain escape to safer quarters. Half of the peo- 
ple had their heads twisted around to get a peep 


386 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

at the sky, to see what the clouds leally dia 
mean, anyway. 

Our girls had one of the uncomfortable posts. 
Arrived late, they had to take what they could 
get, and it was some distance from the speaker, 
and their sight and sound were so marred by the 
constant changes and the whirl of umbrellas 
that Marion presently lost all patience and gave 
up the attempt to listen. She would have de- 
serted altogether but for the look of eager atten- 
tion on Flossy’s face. Despite the annoyances, 
she was evidently hearing and enjoying. It 
seemed a pity to disturb her and suggest a re- 
turn to the tent; besides, Marion felt half 
ashamed to do so. 

It was not pleasant to give tacit acknowledg 
ment to the fact that poor little, unintellectual 
Flossy was much more interested than herself. 
She gave herself up to an old and favorite em- 
ployment of hers, that of looking at faces and 
studying them, when a sudden hush that seemed 
to be settling over the hither to fidgety audience 
arrested her attention. 

The speaker’s voice was full of pathos, and so 
quiet had the place become that every word of 


* Their Works Do Follow Them” 387 

his could be distinctly heard. He was evidently 
in the midst of a story, the first of which she had 
not heard. This was the sentence, as her ears 
took it up : 

“Don’t cry, father, don’t cry! To-night I 
shall be with Jesus, and I will tell him that you 
did all you could to bring me there I ” 

What a tribute for a child to give to a father’s 
love! Flossy, with her cheeks glowing and her 
eyes shining like stars, quietly wiped away the 
tears, and in her heart the resolve grew strong 
to live so that some one, dying, could say of her: 
“I will tell Jesus that you did all you could to 
bring me there ! ” 

Do you think that was what the sentence said 
to Marion ? Quick as thought her life flashed 
back to that old dingy, weather-beaten house, 
to that pale-faced man, with his patched clothing 
and his gray hairs straggling over on the coarse 
pillow. Her father, dying — her one friend, who 
had been her memory of love and care all these 
long years, dying — and these were the last 
words his lips had said: 

“Don’t cry, little girl — father’s dear little 
girl. J am going to Jesus. 1 shall be there in 


888 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

a little while. T shall tell him that I tried to 
have you come ! ” 

Oh, blessed father ! How hard he had tried 
in his feebleness and weakness to teach her the 
way ! How sure he had seemed to feel that she 
would follow him ! And how had she wandered ! 
Ho \v far away she was ! Oh, blessed Spirit of 
God, to seek after her all these years, through 
all the weak and foolish mazes of doubt, and in- 
difference, and declared unbelief — still coming 
with her down to this afternoon at Chautauqua, 
and there renewing to her her father’s parting 
word. 

She had often and often thought of these 
words of her father’s. In a sense, they had been 
ever present with her. Just why they should 
come at this time, bringing such a sense of cer- 
tainty about them to her very soul that all this 
was truth, God’s solemn, real , unchangeable 
truth, and force this conviction upon her in such 
a way that she was moved to say, “ Whereas I 
was blind, now I see,” I can not tell. 

Why Mr. Hazard was used as the instrument 
of such a revelation of God to her I can mt 


/ 


“ Their Works Bo Follow Them” 389 


tell. Perhaps he had prayed that his work at 
Chautauqua that rainy afternoon might, in some 
way, be blessed to the help of some struggling 
soul. Perhaps this was the answer to his 
prayer — unheard, unseen by him, as many an 
answer to our pleading is, and yet the answer as 
surely comes. Who can tell how this may be . 
I do not know. I know this, that Marion’s 
heart gave a great sobbing cry, as it said : 

“Oh, father, father! if your God, if your 
Christ, will help me, I will — I will try to come.” 

It was her way of repeating the old cry, “ Lord, 
I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” And I do 
know that it is written, “Blessed are the dead 
which die in the Lord from henceforth : Yea, 
saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their la- 
bors ; and their works do follow them.” It was 
fifteen years that the weary father had been rest- 
ing from his labors, and here were his works fol- 
lowing him. 

I have heard that Mr. Hazard said, as he folded 
his papers and came down from the stand that 
afternoon, “ It was useless to try to talk in such 
a rain, with the prospect of more every minute. 


390 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


The people could not listen. It would have 
been better to have adjourned. Nothing was ac- 
complished.” Much he knew about it, or will 
know until the day when the secrets of all heart? 
shall be revealed ! 




CHAPTER XXVII. 

UNFINISHED MUSIC. 



MEANTIME, this day, which was to be sc 
fraught with consequences to Marion, 
was on Eurie’s hands to dispose of as best she 
could. To be at Chautauqua, and to be bent on 
having nothing whatever to do with any of the 
Chautauqua life, was in itself a novel position 
The more so as she felt herself quite deserted. 
The necessity for reporting served Marion as an 
excuse for attending even those meetings which 
she did not report ; and the others having gone 

to Mayville to live, this foolish sheep, who was 

( 391 ) 


392 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

within the fold, and who would not be of it, 
went wandering whither she would in search of 
amusement. 

After Marion left her she made her way to 
the museum, and a pleasant hour she spent ; one 
could certainly not desire a more attractive spot. 
She went hither and thither, handling and ad- 
miring the books, the pictures, the maps, the 
profusion of curiosities, and, at the end of the 
hour, when the press of visitors became too 
great to make a longer stay agreeable, she de- 
parted well pleased with herself that she had 
had the wisdom to choose such a pleasant resort 
instead of a seat in some crowded tent as a list- 
ener. 

Coming out, she walked down the hill, and on 
and on, watching the crowds of people who 
were gathering, and wishing she had a pro- 
gramme that she might see what the special at- 
traction was that seemed to be drawing so 
many. 

At last she reached the wharf. The Assem- 
bly steamer was lying at her dock, her jaunty 
flags flying, and the commotion upon her decks 
betokening that she was making ready for a voy- 


Unfinished Music . 


age. The crowd seemed greater there than at 
any other point. It would appear that the spe- 
cial attraction was here, after all. She under- 
stood it, and pushed nearer, as the ringing notes 
of song suddenly rose on the air, and she recog- 
nized the voices of the Tennesseeans. 

This was a great treat ; she delighted in hear- 
ing them. She allowed herself to be elbowed 
and jostled by the throng, reaching every mo- 
ment by judicious pushing a place where she 
could not only hear but see, and where escape 
was impossible. The jubilant chorus ceased 
and one of those weird minor wails, such as their 
music abounds in, floated tenderly around her. 

It was a farewell song, so full of genuine 
pathos, and so tenderly sung, that it was in vain 
to try to listen without a swelling of the throat 
and a sense of sadness. Something in the way 
that the people pressed nearer to listen sug- 
gested to Eurie that it must be designed as a 
farewell tribute to somebody, and presently 
Prof. Sherwin mounted a seat that served as a 
platform and gave them a tender informal fare- 
well address. In every sentence his great, warm 
heart shone. 


S94 Four Grirfo at Chautauqua . 

“I am going away,” he said, “before the 
blessed season at Chautauqua is concluded. I 
am going with a sad heart, foi* I feel that oppor- 
tunities here for work for the Master have been 
great, and some of them 1 have lost. And yet 
there is light in the sadness, for the work that 
1 can not do will yet be done. I once sat be- 
fore my organ improvising a thought that was in 
my heart, trying to give expression to it, and I 
could not. I knew what I wanted, and I knew 
it was in my heart, but how to give it expression 
I did not know. A celebrated organist came up 
the stairs and stood beside me. I looked around 
to him. 4 Can’t you take this tune,’ I said, 4 just 
where I leave it, and finish it for me as I have it 
in my heart to do ? I can’t give it utterance. 
Don’t you see what I want ? ’ ” 

44 4 Perhaps I do,’ he said, and he placed his 
fingers over my fingers, on the same keys that 
mine were touching, and I slipped out of the 
seat and back into the shadow, and he slipped 
into my place, and then the music rolled forth . 
My tune, only I could not play it. He was 
doing it for me. So, though I may have failed 
in my work that I have tried to do here, the 


Unfinished Music . 


896 


great Master is here, and I pray and I hope and 
I believe that he will put his grand hand upon 
my unfinished work and in heaven I shall meet 
it completed.’ ” 

What was there in this to move Eurie to 
tears? She did not know Prof. Sherwin — that 
is, she had never been introduced to him — but 
she had heard him sing, she had heard him pray, 
she had met him in the walk and asked where 
the Sunday-school lesson was, and he had in part 
iirected her — directed her in such a way that 
die had been led to seek further, and in doing so 
had met Miss Ryder, and in meeting her had 
been interested ever since in studying a Chris- 
tian life. Was this one of Prof. Sherwin ’s unfin- 
ished tunes ? Would he meet it again in heaven ? 

A very tender spirit took possession of Eurie 
— an almost irresistible longing to know more 
of this influence, or presence, or whatever name 
it should be called, that so moved hearts, and 
made the friends of a week say farewell with 
tears, and yet with hopeful smiles as they spoke 
in joy and assurance of a future meeting. 

Prof. Sherwin and his friends embarked, and 
the dainty little steamer turned her gracefu] 


396 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

head toward Mayville, and slipped away ovei 
the silver water. Eurie made no attempt to get 
away from the throng who pressed to the edge 
of the dock to get the last bow, the last flutter 
of his handkerchief. She even drew out her 
own handkerchief and fluttered it after him, and 
received from him a special bow, and was almost 
decided to resolve to be present in joy at that 
other meeting, and to make sure this very day 
of her title to an inheritance there. Almost ! 

Going back she met Ruth and Flossy. She 
seized eagerly upon the latter. 

“ Come,” she said, “ you have been to meet- 
ings enough, and you haven’t taken a single 
walk with me since we have been here, and 
think of the promises we made to entertaiu each 
other.” 

Flossy laughed cheerfully. 

“We have been entertained, without any 
effort on our part,” she said. Nevertheless she 
suffered herself to be persuaded to go for a walk, 
provided Eurie would go to Palestine. 

“ What nonsense ! ” Eurie said, disdainfully, 
when Flossy had explained to her that she had a 
consuming desire to wander along the barks of 


Unfinished Music. 


897 


the Jordan, and view those ancient cities, his- 
toric now. “ However, I would just as soon 
walk in that direction as any other.” 

There was one other person who, it transpired, 
would as soon take a walk as do anything else 
just then. He joined the girls as they turned 
toward the Palestine road. That was Mr. Evan 
Roberts. 

“ Are you going to visit the Holy Land this- 
morning, and may I be of your party ? ” he 
asked. 

“ Yes,” Flossy answered, whether to the first 
question, or to both in one, she did not say. 
Then she introduced Eurie, and the three walked 
on together, discussing the morning and the 
meetings with zest. 

“ Here we are, on ‘ Jordan’s stormy banks,’ 99 
Mr. Roberts said, at last, halting beside the 
grassy bank. “ I suppose there was never a 
more perfect geographical representation than 
this.” 

“Do you really think it has any practical 
value ? ” Eurie asked, skeptically. Mr. Roberts 
looked at her curiously. 

“ Hasn’t it to you ? ” he said. “ Now, to me, 


898 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

it is just brimful of interest and value ; that is, as 
much value as geographical knowledge ever is. 
I take two views of it. If I never have an act- 
ual sight of the sacred land, by studying this 
miniature of it, I have as full a knowledge as it 
is possible to get without the actual view, and if 
I at some future day am permitted to travel 
there, why — well, you know of course how 
pleasant it is to be thoroughly posted in regard 
to the places of interest that you are about 
to visit; every European traveler understands 
that.” 

“ But do you suppose it is really an accurate 
outline ? ” Eurie said, again, quoting opinions 
that she had read until she fancied they were 
her own. 

Again Mr. Roberts favored her with that pe- 
culiar look from under heavy eyebrows — a look 
half satirical, half amused. 

“ Some of the most skilled surveyors and trav- 
eled scholars have so reported,” he said, care- 
lessly. “And when you add to that the fact 
that they are Christian men, who have no spe- 
cial reason for getting up a wholesale deception 
for us, and are supposed to be tolerably reliable 


Unfinished Music . 399 

an all other subjects, I see no reason to doubt 

the statement.” 

On the whole. Eurie had the satisfaction of 
realizing that she had appeared like a simple* 
ton. 

Flossy, meantime, was wandering delightedly 
along the banks, stopping here and there to read 
the words on the little white tablets that marked 
the places of special interest. 

“Do you see,” she said, turning eagerly, 
“ that these are Bible references on each tablet ? 
Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what they 
selected as the scene to especially mark this 
place ? ” 

Mr. Roberts swung a camp-chair from his arm, 
planted it firmly in the ground, and drew a Bible 
from his pocket. 

“Miss Mitchell,” he said, “suppose you sit 
down here in this road, leading from Jerusalem 
to Bethany, and tell us what is going on just 
now in Bethany, while Miss Shipley and I sup- 
ply you with chapter and verse.” 

“ I am not very familiar with the text-book,” 
Eurie said. “If you are really in the village 
yourselves you might possibly inquire of the in- 


->00 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

habitants before I could find the account/’ But 
she took the chair and the Bible. 

“Look at Matthew xxi. 17, Eurie,” Flossy 
said, stooping over the tablet, and Eurie read: 

“ 4 And he left them, and went out of the city 
into Bethany ; and he lodged there.’ ” 

“That was Jesus, wasn’t it? Then he went 
this way, this very road, Eurie, where you are 
sitting ! ” It was certainly very fascinating. 

“And stopped at the house on which you 
have your hand, perhaps,” Mr. Roberts said, 
smiling at her eager face. 

“ That might have been Simon s house, for in- 
stance.” 

“ Did he live in Bethany ? I don’t know any- 
thing about these things.” 

“ Eurie, look if you can find anything about 
him. The next reference is Matthew xxvi.” 

And again Eurie read : 

“‘Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the 
house of Simon the leper.’ ” 

“ The very place I ” Flossy said, again. “ Oh, 
I want so much to know what happened then ! ” 

“Won’t Miss Mitchell read it to us?” Mr. 
Roberts said, and he arranged his shawl along 


Unfinished Music. 


401 


the ground for seats. “Since we have reallj 
come to Bethany, let us have the full benefit of 
it. Now, Miss Shipley, take a seat, and we will 
give ourselves up to the pleasure of being with 
Jesus in Simon’s house, and looking on at the 
scene.” 

So they disposed of themselves on the grass, 
and Eurie, hardly able to restrain a laugh over 
the novelty of the situation, and yet wonderfully 
fascinated by the whole scene, read to them the 
tender story of the loving woman with her 
sweet-smelling ointment, growing more and 
more interested, until in the closing verse her 
voice was full of feeling. 

‘“Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this 
gospel shall be preached in the whole world, 
there shall also this, that this woman hath done, 
be told as a memorial of her.’ ” 

“ Think of that ! ” said Mr Roberts. “ And 
here are we, eighteen hundred years afterward, 
sitting here in Bethany and talking of that same 
woman still! Miss Mitchell, are you going tc 
do something for Christ that shall be talked over 
a thousand years from now? There is a chancer 
for undying fame.” 


402 Jbour (xirls at Chautauqua. 

“Doubtful!” Eurie said, but she did not 
smile ; her face was grave. 

“ Or, better still, are you going to do such 
work for Christ that, hundreds of years after, 
your influence will be silently living and work- 
ing out its fruit in human hearts ? ” 

“It is altogether more likely that I shall do 
nothing at all.” 

“ Out of the question,” he said, with a grave 
smile. “ Either for or against, every life must 
be, whether we will it or not. ‘ He that is not 
with me is against me,’ was the word of the 
Master himself, and as long as eternity lasts the 
fruit of the sowing will last.” 

“ That is a fearfully solemn thought,” Flossy 
said, earnestly. 

Mr. Roberts turned toward her a face aglow 
with smiles now. 

“ And a wondrously precious one,” he said, 
and Flossy answered him in a low tone : 

“Yes, I can see that it might be.” 

Now, the actual fact is, that those three people 
wandered around that far-away land until the 
morning vanished and the loud peal of the Chau- 
tauqua bells announced the fact that the feast of 


Unfinished Music . 


403 


intellect was over, and it was time for dinner 
They went from Bethany to Bethel, and from 
Bethel to Sliechem, and they even climbed 
Mount Hermon’s snowy peak, and looked about 
on the lovely plain below. In every place there 
was Bible reading, and Eurie was the reader, and 
it was such a morning that she will remember for 
all time. 

“ Pray, who is this Mr. Roberts ? ” she asked, 
as they parted company at the foot of the hill. 
“ Where did you make his acquaintance ? ” 

“ He is Mrs. Smythe’s nephew,” Flossy said. 
“ She introduced me to him the other evening.” 

“The other evening I You seemed to be as 
well acquainted as though you had spent the 
summer together.” 

“Some people have a way of seeming like 
friends on short acquaintance,” Flossy said, with 
grave face and smiling eyes. 

“You two missed a good deal by your folly 
this morning,” Ruth said, as they met at dinner. 
“We had a grand lecture.” 

“So had we,” answered Eurie, significantly, 
and that was every word she vouchsafed con 
cerning the trip to Palestine. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

MENTAL PROBLEMS. 



^R. DEEMS,” said Ruth, looking up from 
her programme with a thoughtful air. 
M I wonder if he is a man whom I have any spe- 
cial desire to hear ? ” 

You must constantly remember the entire ig- 
norance of these girls on all names and topics 
that pertained to the religious world. Ruth 
knew indeed that the gentleman in question was 
aNe w York clergyman; that was as far as her 
knowledge extended. 

“ His subject is interesting,” Flossy said. 

“ I don’t think it is,” said Eurie. “ Not to 
( 404 ) 


Mental Problems . 


405 


me, anyhow. Nature and I have nothing in 
common, except to have a good time together if 
we can get it. She is a miserably disappointed 
jade, I know. What has she done for us since 
we have been here except to arrange rainy 
weather? I’m going to visit his honor the 
mummy this morning, and from there I am 
going to the old pyramid ; and I advise you to 
go with me, all of you. Talk about nature 
when there is an old fellow to see who was ac- 
quainted with it thousands of years ago. Na- 
ture is too common an affair to be interested 
in.” 

“ Oh, are you going to the museum ? ” said 
Flossy. “ Then please get me one of the ‘ Bliss * 
singing books, will you ? I want to secure one 
before they are all gone. Girls, don’t you each 
want one of them to take home ? The hymns 
are lovely.” 

“ I don’t,” said Eurie, “ unless he is for sale to 
go along and sing them. I can’t imagine any- 
thing tamer than to hear some commonplace 
voice trying to do those songs that he roars out 
without any effort at all. What has become of 
the man ? ” 


106 Four Grirls at Chautauqua. 

“ He has gone,” said Marion. “ Called home 
suddenly, some one told me. His singing u 
splendid, isn’t it? I don’t know but I feel 
much as you do about the book. Think of hav- 
ing Deacon Millar try to sing, ‘ Only an armor- 
bearer I ’ I don’t mind telling you that I felt 
very much as if I were being lifted right off my 
feet and carried up somewhere, I hardly know 
where, when I heard him sing that. I was com- 
ing down the hill, away off, you know, by the 
post-office — no, away above the post-office, and 
he suddenly burst forth. I stopped to listen, 
and I could hear every single word as distinctly 
as I can hear you in this tent.” 

“ Hear ! ” said Eurie, “ I guess you could. I 
shouldn’t be surprised if they heard him over at 
Mayville, and that is what brings such crowds 
here every day. Did you ever see anything like 
the way the people come here, anyhow?” 

“ I don’t feel at all as you do,” said Flossy, 
going back to the question of singing-books. 
“ After we get let down a little, k Only an 
armor-bearer ’ will sound very well even fron 
common singers. It has in it what can’t be 
taken out because a certain voice is lost; and 


Mental Problem * . 


407 


the book is full of other and simpler pieces, and 
lovely choruses, that people can catch after one 
hearing.” 

“ Flossy is going home to introduce it into the 
First Church,” Eurie said, gravely. 

Flossy’s cheeks flushed. 

“ I had not thought of that,” she said, simply ; 
“ perhaps we can. In any case get me a couple, 
Eurie.” 

The discussion on the morning service ended 
in a division of the party. Ruth, who had come 
over early on purpose to attend, was obliged to 
succumb to a feeling of utter weariness and lie 
down. 

Eurie steadily refused to go to the platform 
meeting, assuring them that she knew Dr. Deems 
would be “ as dry as a stick ; all New York min- 
isters were.” 

So Flossy and Marion went away together, 
Marion with her note-book in the hope of get- 
ting an item for a newspaper letter that must be 
written that afternoon. 

They were late, and almost abandoned in de 
spair the hope of getting within hearing, until a 
happy thought suggested a seat on the platform 


408 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

stair at the speaker’s back. There was a “crack " 
there, Marion said, into which they presently 
crept. 

The address was already commenced. Marion 
listened at first with that indifferent air that a 
face wears when its owner perforce commences 
in the middle of a thing, and has to wait his way 
to a tangible idea of what is being said. 

There was not long waiting, however. Her 
eyes began to dilate and her face to glow ; she 
was almost a worshiper of eloquence, and surely 
no one ever sat for two hours and listened to a 
more unbroken flow of rich, glowing words, shin- 
ing like diamonds, than fell lavishly arou'ud the 
listeners that Friday morning at Chautauqua. 
But a few minutes and Marion’s pencil began to 
move with speed. This was the thought that 
had thrilled her : 

“ First, light ; then liberation from chaos ; then 
grass ; and then God stopped his work and gazed 
with delighr on the picture he had drawn. 
Think what a picture it must have been ! There 
was nothing but rocks ground down when 
God said, ‘ Earth, grow ! ’ Then straightway the 
mother power fell down upon the earth, life pulsed 


Mental Problems. 


409 


in her veins, and the baby shoot of grass sprang 
up, and the rocky earth wrapped herself in her 
garment of emerald, and God, stopping his work, 
said, ‘ Useful, beautiful ! ’ ” 

When the speaker touched upon the doctrine 
of the resurrection Marion’s pencil paused, and 
sh& leaned eagerly forward to get a glimpse of 
his face. That doctrine had seemed to her 
doubting heart the strangest, wildest, most hope- 
less of the Christian theories. If clear light 
could shine on that, could there not on any - 
thing? Her face was aglow with interest not 
only, but with anxiety. 

This morning, for the first time in her life, she 
could be called an honest doubter. She had 
fancied herself able to believe anything of which 
her reason had been convinced ; but she found, 
to her surprise and dismay, that so fixed had the 
habit of unbelief become, it seemed impossible 
to shake it off, and that she needed to be con- 
vinced and reconvinced ; that her questionings 
came in on every hand, seized upon the smallest 
point, and tormented her without mercy. What 
about this strange story of the resurrection ? 

As she listened a subdued smile broke o vet 


410 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

her face — a smile of sarcasm. How very ab- 
surdly simple the argument from nature was, 
how utterly unanswerable ! And after the sen- 
tence, “Tell me how that wonderful field of 
waving grain came from the bare kernels of corn, 
and I will tell you how my blessed baby shall 
rise an angel,” Marion said in tone so distinct 
that it struck on Flossy’s ear like a knell, “ What 
a fool ! ” Not the speaker, as the dismayed and 
disappointed Flossy supposed, but herself, 

“ The measure of every man is his faith,” said 
Dr. Deems. “ The greatest thing a human being 
can do is not to perceive, nor to compare , not to 
reason , but to believe .” And again Marion 
smiled. If this were true what a pigmy she 
must be ! She began to more than suspect that 
she was. 

“ Don’t waste time,” said the Doctor, “ in try- 
ing to reconcile science and the Bible. Science 
wasn’t intended to teach religion. The Bible 
wasn’t intended to teach science ; but wherever 
they touch they agree. God sends his servants 
— scientific men — all abroad through nature to 
gather facts with which to illustrate the Bible.” 

Marion began to write again, but it was only 


Mental Problems . 


411 


In snatches here and there ; not that there was 
not that which she longed to catch, but she 
could not write it — the sentences just poured 
forth ; and how perfectly aglow with light and 
beauty they were ! This one sentence she pres- 
ently wrote : 

“ In the black ink of his power God wrote the 
Book of nature ; in the red ink of his love he 
wrote the Bible ; and all this power is to bring 
us all to this love . Oh, to rest in arms like these ! 
Are they not strong enough ? ” 

Suddenly Marion closed her book and slipped 
her pencil into her pocket ; she could not write. 
And although she thrilled through every nerve 
over the majestic sentences that followed and 
was carried to a pitch of enthusiasm almost be- 
yond her control, when the jubilant thunder of 
thousands of voices rang together in the matchless 
closing words, “ Blessing, and glory, and thanks- 
giving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto 
our God, forever and ever. Amen.” She made 
no further attempt to write ; her heart was full ; 
there rang in it this eager cry, “ Oh, to rest in 
arms like these!” Strong enough? Aye, in- 
deed ! Doubts were forever set at rest. The 


412 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

Maker of all nature could be none other than 
God, and the God of nature was the God of the 
Bible. It was as clear as the sunlight. Reason 
was forever satisfied, but there lingered yet the 
hungering cry, “ Oh, to rest in arms like these ! ” 

And Flossy said not a word to her of the rest- 
ing place. Not because she had not found it 
strong and safe ; not because she did not long to 
have her friend rest there, but because of that 
despairing murmur in her heart. “ What is the 
use in saying anything ? Had she not heard 
with her own ears Marion’s sneering sentence in 
the face of the unanswerable arguments that had 
been presented? ” I wonder how often we turn 
away from harvest fields that are ready for the 
reader because we mistake for a sneer that which 
is the admission of a convicted soul? 

By afternoon Ruth was rested and ready for 
meeting; if the truth be known it was her 
troubled brain which had tired her body and 
obliged her to rest. She had begun to take up 
that problem of “ Christian work.” The plat- 
form meeting of the evening before, and, more 
than anything else, Dr. Niles’ address, had fanned 
her heart into a flame of desire to do something 


Mental Problem s. 


413 


k*r the Master. But what could she do ? She 
and Flossy had talked it over together aftei they 
reached their room at the hotel; in fact they 
talked away into the night. 

“I don’t know,” Flossy said, with a little 
laugh, “ but I shall have to depend on the 4 un- 
conscious influence ’ which I exert to do my 
work for me. I don’t know of anything which 
I can actually do . Dr. Niles made a great deal 
of that.” 

“ Yes,” Ruth said, “ but you see, Flossy, the 
people whose unconscious influence does any good 
are the ones after all who are moving around try - 
ing to do something. I don’t feel sure that he 
lets the unconcious influence of the drones amount 
to much, unless it is in the wrong scale. Dr. 
Niles made a good deal of that , you remember.” 

“ Don’t you like him ever so much, Ruth ? ” 

“ Why, yes,” Ruth said again, turning her pil- 
low wearily. 44 1 liked him of course ; how could 
l help it ? But, after all, he made me very un- 
comfortable. I seem to feel as though I must 
find something to do. I have a great deal of 
time to make up. 1 tell you what it is, Flossy, 
1 w i# sh you and I could do something for those 


414 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


two girls. Isn’t it strange that they are not in* 
terested ? ” 

“ But they are not.” Flossy said it as posi- 
tively as if she could see right into their hearts. 
“ I think Marion is worse than ever ; and as for 
Eurie, she won’t even go to the meetings, you 
know.” 

“ I know. Perhaps we would only do harm 
to try. But what can we do ? I am sure I 
don’t see anything. And don’t you know how 
clearly Dr. Niles made it appear that there was a 
special work for each one ? ” 

So they discussed the question, turning it ovei 
and over, and getting almost no light, coming to 
feel themselves very useless and worthless 
specks on the sea of life, until late in the night 
Flossy said : 

“ I’ll tell you what it is, Ruth, we must just 
ask for work — little bits of work, you know — 
and then keep our eyes open until it comes. I 
know of things I can do when I get home.” 

“ So do I,” said Ruth, “ but I want to begin 
now.” 

Silence for a few minutes, and then Flossy 
asked : 


Mental Problems . 


415 


“ Rutliie, have you written to Mr. Wayne? ” 

“ No,” said Ruth, her cheeks flushing even in 
the darkness. “ I wrote a long letter just be- 
fore this came to me, but I burned it, and I am 
glad of it.” 

Then they went to sleep. But the desire for 
the work did not fade with the daylight. Flossy 
had even been tempted to say a humble little 
word to Marion, but had been deterred by the 
sound of that sneer of which I told you ; and 
Ruth, lying on her bed, had revolved the sub- 
ject and sent up many an earnest prayer, ana 
went out to afternoon service resolved upon 
keeping her eyes very wide open. 

The special attraction for the afternoon was a 
conference of primary class teachers. They 
were out in full force, and were ready for any 
questions that might fill the hearts and the 
mouths of eager learners. Our girls had each 
their special favorites among these leaders. 
Ruth found herself attracted and deeply inter- 
ested in every word that Mrs. Clark uttered. 
Marion was making a study of both Mrs. Knox 
and Miss Morris, and found it difficult to tell 
which attracted her most. Even Eurie was 


416 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

ready for this meeting. She had never been 
able to shake off the thought of Miss Rider, and 
her eager enthusiasm in this work, while Flossy 
had been fascinated and carried away captive by 
the magnetic voice and manner of Mrs. Par- 
tridge. 

“ She makes me glow,” Flossy said, in trying 
to explain the feeling to the calmer Ruth. “ Her 
life seems to quiver all through me, and make 
me long to reach after it; to have the same 
power which she has over the hearts of wild un- 
cared-for children.” 

And Ruth looked down on the exquisite bit 
of flesh and blood beside her, and thought of her 
elegant home and her elegant mother, and of all 
the softening and enervating influences of her 
city life, and laughed. How little had she in 
common with such a work as that to which Mrs. 
Partridge had given her soul I 

Keeping her eyes open, as she had planned to 
do, this same Flossy saw as she was passing down 
the aisle the hungry face of one of her boys, as 
she had mentally called the Arabs with whom 
her life had brushed on the Sunday morning. 
The word just described it still, a hungry face, 


Mental I'robUms, 


417 


like one hanging wistfully around the outskirts 
of a feast in which he had no share. Flossy let 
go her hold of Ruth’s arm and darted toward 
him. 

“ How do you do ? ” she said, in winning voice, 
before he had even seen her. “ I am real glad 
to see you again. If you will come with me I 
will get a seat for you. A lady is going to speak 
this afternoon who has five hundred boys in her 
class in Sunday-school.” 

Now the Flossy of two weeks ago, if she could 
have imagined herself in any such business, would 
have been utterly disgusted with the result, and 
gone away with her pretty nose very high. 

The boy turned his dirty face toward her and 
said, calmly : 

“ What a whopper i * 

The experience of a lifetime could not have an- 
swered more deftly : 

“ You come and see. I am almost certain she 
will tell us about some of them.” 

Still he stared, and Flossy waited with her 
pretty face very near to his, and her pretty hand 
held coaxingly out . 

“Come,” she said again. And it could not 


118 


Four Girls at Chautauqua . 


have been more to the boy’s surprise than it 
was to hers that he presently said ; 

“ Well, go ahead. I can scud if I don’t like 
it. I’ll follow.” 

And he did. 




CHAPTER XXIX. 



WAITING. 

LT required Flossy’s eyes and heart both to 
|keep watch of her boy during the progress 
of that meeting The novelty of the scene, the 
strangeness of seeing ladies occupying the speak- 
er’s stand, kept him quiet and alert, until Mrs. 
Partridge, that woman with wonderful power 
over the forgotten, neglected portion of the 
world, arrested all his bewildering thoughts and 
centered them on the strange stories she had to 
tell. 

Did you ever hear her tell that remarkable 

story of her first attempt at controlling that re- 

' 419 ) 


420 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

markable class which came under her care, many 
years ago, in St. Louis ? It is full of wonder 
and pathos and terror and fascination, even to 
those who are somewhat familiar with such ex- 
periences. But Flossy and her boy had never 
heard, or dreamed of its like. No, I am wrong ; 
the boy had dreamed of scenes just so wild and 
daring, but even he had not fancied that such 
people ever found their way to Sunday-schools. 

Peanuts, cigars, a pack of cards, and a bowie- 
knife I Imagine yourself, teacher, to be seated 
before your orderly and courteous class of boys 
next Sunday morning and find them transformed 
into beings represented by such surroundings as 
these ! It was Mrs. Partridge’s experience. 
How fascinating that story is I That one incor- 
rigible boy, the one with the bowie-knife, the 
one who would make no answer to her questions, 
show no interest in her stories, ignore her very 
presence and go on with his horrible mischief, 
until it even came to a stabbing affray right there 
in the class-room 1 

Imagine her meeting that boy ten years after- 
ward, when he was not only a man, but a gentle- 
man ; not only that, but a Christian • «nd not 


Waiting . 


421 


only that, but a working Christian, superintend- 
ing a mission Sunday-school, giving his best en- 
ergies and his best time to work like that ! 
Think of being told by him that the determina- 
tion to amount to something was taken that 
morning, ten years before, when he seemed not 
to be listening nor caring I What is ten years 
of Christian work when we can hope for such re- 
sults as that I 

Flossy had forgotten her charge ; her face was 
all aglow ; so was her heart. She knew more 
about Christian work than she did an hour be- 
fore. She had learned that we must take the 
step that plainly comes next to be taken, no 
matter for the darkness of the day and the ap- 
parent gloom of the future. Work is ours ; re- 
mits are God’s. This life business is divided. 
Partnership with God. Nothing but the work to 
do ; so that it is done to the utmost limit of our 
best, the responsibility is the Lord’s. That was 
blessed ! She could dare to try. 

Meantime the boy. He had listened in utmost 
silence, and with eyes that never for an instant 
left the speaker’s face ! When the spell was 
broken he drew a long sigh, and this was his 
mighty conclusion: 


422 Four Grirls at Chautauqua, 

“ That chap was enough sight meaner than I’d 
ever be, and yet he got to be some ! I’ll be 
blamed if I don’t see what can be done in that 
line t ” 

A small beginning ; so small that on Flossy’s 
face it excited only smiles. She was ignorant, 
you know. To Mrs. Partridge that sentence 
would have been worth a wedge of gold. But 
it is possible that Flossy’s first simple little reach 
after work may have fruit to bear. 

It is difficult to begin to tell about that next 
day at Chautauqua. There was so much crowded 
into it that it would almost make a little book of 
itself. The morning was spent by a large class 
of people in a state of excited unrest and expect- 
ancy. The sensible ones by the hundreds, and 
indeed I suppose I may say by the thousands, 
went to the morning service, as usual, and heard 
the children’s sermon, delivered by Dr. Newton ; 
and those who did not, and who afterward had 
the misfortune to fall in with those who did, be- 
moaned their folly in not doing likewise. On 
the whole, the children, and those who had 
brains enough to become children for the time 
being, were the only comfortable ones at Chau- 
tauqua that Saturday morning. 


Waiting. 


423 


The president was coming ! So, apparently, 
was the rest of the world ! Oh, the throngs and 
throngs that continually arrived ! It of itself 
was a rare and never-to-be-forgotten novelty to 
those who had never in their lives before seen 
such a vast army of human beings gathered into 
a small space, and all perfectly quiet and correct, 
and even courteous in their deportment. 

“ Where are the drunken men ? ” said Marion, 
looking around curiously on the constantly in- 
creasing throng. “We always read of them as 
being in great crowds.” 

“ Yes, and the people who swear,” added Eu- 
rie. “ I haven’t heard an oath this morning, and 
I have roamed around everywhere. I must say 
Chautauqua will bear off the palm for getting 
together a most respectable-looking, well-be- 
haved ‘ rabble I ’ That is what I overheard a 
sour-looking old gentleman, who doesn’t approve 
of having a president — or of letting him come 
to a religious meeting, I don’t know which — 
say would rush in to-day. It certainly is a re- 
markably orderly ‘rush.’ Girls, look at Dr. 
Vincent! I declare, Chautauqua has paid, just 
to watch him ! He ought to be the president 


424 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

himself. I mean to vote for him when female 
suffrage comes in. Or a king ! Wouldn’t he 
make a grand king ? How he would enjoy or- 
dering the subjects and enforcing his laws ! ” 

“ All of which he seems able to do now,” Mar- 
ion said. “ 1 don’t believe he would thank you 
for a vote. His realm is large enough, and he 
seems to have willing subjects.” 

“He has go-ahead-a-tive-ness.” Eurie said. 
“What is the proper word for that, school- 
ma’am ? Executive ability, that’s it. Those are 
splendid words, and they ought to be added to 
his name. I tell you what, girls, 1 wish we 
could cut him up into seven men, and take him 
home with us. Seven first-class men made out 
of him and distributed through the towns about 
us would make a new order of things.” 

All this was being said while they were scram- 
bling with the rest of the world down to the au 
ditorium to secure seats, for the grand afternoon 
had arrived, and people had been advised to be 
“ in their seats as soon after one o’clock as they 
could make it convenient.” 

“How soon will that be, I wonder?” Mar- 
ion said, quoting this sentence from Dr. Yin- 


Waiting . 


425 


cent’s advice given in the morning, and holding 
up her watch to show that it was five minutes of 
one. 

“ It looks to me as though those deluded be- 
ings who arrive here at one o’clock will have 
several hours of patient waiting before they will 
make it convenient to secure seats. Just stand 
a minute, girls, and look I It is worth seeing. 
Away back, just as far as I can see, there is noth- 
ing but heads ! The aisles are full, and space 
between the seats, and the office is full, and the 
people are just pouring down from the hill in a 
continuous stream. To look that way you 
wouldn’t think that any had got down here 
yet ! ” 

Now I really wish I had a photograph of that 
gathering of people to put right in here, on this 
page I Many of them would have looked much 
better at this point than they did after four 
hours of patient waiting. How that crowd did 
fidget and fix and change position, as far as it 
was possible to change, when there was not an 
iuch of unoccupied space. How they talked and 
laughed and sang and grumbled and yawned, 
and sang again / 


426 Four Q-irU at Chautauqua . 

It was a tedious waiting. It had its irresisti- 
bly comic side. There were those among the 
Chautauqua girls who could see the comic side 
of things with very little trouble. The material 
out of which they made some of their fun might 
have appeared very meager to orderly, decorous 
people. But they made it. 

What infinite sport they got out of the fidgety 
lady before them, who could not get herself and 
her three children seated to her mind ! Those 
ladies who labored so industriously in order that 
the nation’s flags, draping the stand, should float 
gracefully over the nation’s chief, were an al- 
most inexhaustible source of amusement to our 
girls. 

“ Look ! ” said Eurie, “ that arrangement 
doesn’t suit ; some of the stars are hidden ; see 
them twitch it ; it will be down ! Now that one 
has it looped just to her fancy. No I I declare, 
there it comes down again! The other one 
twitched it this time ; they are not of the same 
mind. Girls, do look ! It is fun to watch them ; 
they work as though the interests of this meet- 
ing all turned on a light arrangement of that 


Waiting . 


427 


By this time the attention of the girls was en- 
gaged, and the number of witty remarks that 
were made at the expense of those flags would 
no doubt have disconcerted the earnest workers 
thereat could they have heard them. 

The hours waned, and the president did not 
arrive. The waiters essayed to sing, but to lead 
such an army of people was a difficult task, es- 
pecially when there was no one to lead. Such 
singing I 

“We came out ahead, anyhow ! ” said Flossy, 
stopping to laugh. 

Five or six thousand people had finished their 
verse, while five or six thousand in the rear were 
in the third line of it. 

“ We need Mr. Bliss or Mr. Sherwin or some- 
body” said Ruth. “ What a pity that they have 
all gone, and Dr. Tourjde hasn’t come I I thought 
he was to be here.” 

Presently came a singer to their rescue. The 
girls did not know who he was, but he led well, 
and the singing became decidedly enjoyable. 
Suddenly he disappeared, and they went back 
again into utter confusion. They stopped sing- 
ing and began to grumble. 


428 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

“ Queer arrangements, anyhow,” said a surly* 
looking man in front. “ Why didn’t they have 
a speaker ready to address this throng, instead 
of keeping us waiting here with nothing to en- 
tertain us ? ” 

“ I know it,” said Marion, briskly addressing 
herself to her party. “ Dr. Vincent has not used 
his accustomed foresight. He ought to have 
known that the presidential party would be 
three hours late, and filled up the programme 
with speeches, especially since there has been 
such a dearth of speech-making during the past 
wo weeks. We are really hungry for an ad- 
dress! I don’t know who would have under- 
taken the task, however, unless they sent for 
Gabriel or some other celestial. I know I have 
no desire to listen to a common mortal.” 

Before them sat a lady absorbed in a book. 
During the singing she joined heartily, and when 
Dr. Vincent came, on one of his numerous jour- 
neys to try to encourage the crowd with the in- 
formation that the party waited for had not yet 
arrived, she looked and listened with the rest, 
but always with her finger between the leaves, 
as if the place was too interesting to be lost. 


Waiting . 


429 


Eurie s curiosity rose to such a pitch that she 
lulled forward for a peep at the title-page, and 
drew back suddenly. It was a copy of the 
Teacher’s Bible I 

A silence fell upon the company near the 
front, broken suddenly by an old lady who 
leaned lovingly toward her chubby-faced grand- 
son, and said : 

“-Frankie, you must look in a few minutes 
and you will see the President of the United 
States.” 

“ That is good news, anyhow,” spoke forth a 
rough-looking, good-natured man near by, and 
the listeners, who were in that excited state of 
weariness and waiting that they were ready to 
laugh or cry as the slightest occasion offered, 
burst forth into roars of laughter, which rang 
back among the crowds behind and enticed 
them to join, though I suppose not twenty of the 
laughers knew what the joke was, if indeed there 
was one. 

A sudden rush. Some one occupied the 
stand. A notice. 

*‘A telegram!” said a ringing voice. “For 
Mrs. C. G. Hammond. Marked — ‘ Death ! ’ ” 


430 Four (rirls at Chautauqua. 

A sympathetic murmur ran through the great 
company, as they moved and wedged and fell 
back, and did almost impossible things, to make a 
road out of that dense throng of humanity for 
the one to whom the president had suddenly be- 
come an insignificance. 

Just then came the “Wyoming Trio.” Bless- 
ings on them, whoever tl^y are. Nothing ever 
could have fitted in more splendidly than they 
did just there and then. And the singing rested 
and helped them all. 

Now a sensation came in the shape of a poem 
that had been written for the occasion, and was 
to be learned to sing in greeting to the presi- 
dent. How tney rang those jubilant words 
through those old trees ! Tender, touching 
words, with the Chautauqua key-note quivering 
all through them. 

“ Greet him ! Let the air around him 
Benedictions bear ; 

Let the hearts of all the people 
Circle him with prayer/' 

“ I wonder if he realizes what a blessed thing 
t is to be circled with prayer?” said she of the 
Teacher’s Bible, turning a thoughtful face upon 


Waiting. 


431 


the lour girls who had attracted her attention. 

“ 1 wonder who Mary A. Lathbury is ? ” said 
Eurie, reading from the poem. “ She is a poet, 
whoever she is. There isn’t a line in this that 
is simply rhyme . I doubt if the president ever 
had such a rhythmical tribute as that.” 

“ She is the lady with blue eyes and curls who 
designs the pictures in that charming child’s 
paper which flutters around here. I have for- 
gotten the name of it, but the pictures are little 
poems themselves.” 

This was Flossy’s bit of information. 

“ Which designs them, the blue eyes or the 
curls?” Marion asked, gravely. And then these 
four simpletons burst into a merry laugh. 

Still the president did not appear. The audi- 
ence had exhausted their resources and their good 
humor. Ominous grumblings and cross faces 
began to predominate. Some darkly hinted that 
he was not coming at all, and that this was a de- 
sign to draw the immense crowd together. No- 
body believed it, but many were in a mood to 
pretend that they did. 

“ I never believed in this thing,” said a tall, 
dark-faced, solemn-featured man, speaking in a 


432 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

voice loud enough to interest the crowd in front 
“This sensation business I don’t believe in! 
What do we want of the president here ! Who 
cares to see him ? I don’t like it ; I believe it is 
all wrong, turning a religious meeting upside 
down for a sensation, and I told them so.” 

Our friend Marion, you will remember, was 
gifted with a clear voice and a saucy tongue. 

“ If he doesn’t like it,” she said, quickly, “ and 
doesn’t want to see the president, why do you 
suppose he has kept one of the best chairs for 
four mortal hours ? Don’t you think that is self- 
ish?” 

Which sentence caused ripples of laughter all 
about them, and quenched the solemn-visaged 
man. 

But it was growing serious, this waiting. It 
was a great army of people to be kept at rest, 
and though they had been quiet and decorous 
enough thus far, it was not to be presumed that 
they were all people governed by nice shades of 
propriety. Would the disappointment break forth 
into any disagreeable demonstrations 9 Dr. Vin- 
cent had done what he could ; he had appeared 
promptly on the arrival of dispatches, and giver 


Waiting . 


433 


the latest news that the telegraph and the tele- 
scope would send. But what can any mortal 
man do who has arranged for people to come 
who do not come, except wait for them witl* 
what patience he can command. 

At this ominous moment he appeared before 
them again. Not a notice this time ; something 
which shone in his eyes and quivered in every 
vein and rang in his trumpet-like voice. This 
what he said. 




CHAPTER XXX. 



SETTLED QUESTIONS. 

ifEAR FRIENDS : I should bear a bur- 
den on my conscience, if I did not come 
to you to-day with the ‘old, old story.’ 

“ Over the tent which has been prepared for the 
President of the United States there glows, done 
in evergreen, this single word, ‘ rest .’ 

“ As I pass it, I am reminded of another and a 
different rest: the rest from every burden, 
every anxiety, every pain, every sin ; who has 
rested in those everlasting arms ? There is com- 
ing a day when all this throng of human life 
gathered here shall wait for the coming of the 

King. Yea, even the ‘ King of kings.’ Should 
( 434 ) 


Settled Questions. 


436 


that time be to-day, who is ready ? Do you 
know his power? Do you know his grace ? Do 
you know his love ? Through the atonement oi 
the Lord Jesus Christ, every one of you may 
have that King for your father ; I am commis- 
sioned, this day, to bring this invitation to each 
one of you ; ‘ Come unto me all ye that are 

heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ Will 
you come ? * * * * Pardon this interruption — 
no, I will not ask your pardon : it is never an in- 
terruption to bring good news from the King to 
his subjects. I will not weary you with a long 
presentation ; I have only this message : yon 
are all invited to come to the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and be saved from every possible calamity ; you 
?<re all invited to come now. I am going to ask 
the Tennesseeans to sing one of my favorites : 

“ * Brother, don’t stay away ; 

For my Lord says there’s room enough. 

Room enough in the heaven for you.’ ” 

Never were tender words more tenderly sung! 
Never did they steal out upon the hearts of a 
more hushed and solemn audience. That match- 


436 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

less word of gospel had touched home. There 
were those in the crowd who had never realized 
before that the invitation was for them. 

Following the hymn came another, suggested 
also by Dr. Vincent: “Steal away to Jesus.” 
It is one of the sweetest as well as one of the 
strangest of African melodies ; and as the ten- 
der message floated up among the trees, a strange 
hush settled over the listeners ; many tears were 
quietly wiped away from eyes unused to weeping. 

“ Now sing ‘ Almost persuaded,’ ” said Dr. Vin- 
cent, his own voice tremulous with his highly 
wrought feeling. Many voices took that up. 
Even the Chautauqua girls sang, all but Eurie 
With the sentence : 

“ Seems now some soul to say, 

Go, spirit, go thy way ; 

Some more convenient day 
On thee I’ll call.” 

Flossy turned her anxious, appealing eyes on 
Eurie, but she was laughing merrily over the at- 
tempt of a feeble old man near her to join in 
the song, and Flossy whispered sadly to Ruth ; 


Settled Question s. 


437 


“ Eurie has not even as much interest as that” 

The spell of the message and the music lin- 
gered, even after Dr. Vincent had gone again. 
There was no more grumbling ; there was very 
little laughing; a subdued spirit seemed to 
brood over the great company. 

“We could almost have a revival, right here,” 
said one thoughtful man, looking with searching 
eyes, up and down the sea of faces. 

“ I tell you, no grander opportunity was ever 
more grandly improved than by those few words 
of Dr. Vincent’s. They touched bottom. He 
will meet those words again with joy, or I am 
mistaken.” 

But the waiting was over ; suddenly the Chau- 
tauqua bells began to peal ; strains of martial 
music, and the roll of drums, mingled with the 
booming of cannon ; and almost before they were 
aware, even after all their waiting, twenty thou- 
sand people stood face to face with their nation’s 
chief. 

“When the president’s head appears above 
this platform, I hope it will thunder here,” had 
been Dr. Vincent’s suggestion several hours be- 
fore. 

Thunder I That was no comparison I I hope 


*38 Four Girls at Chcmtauqua. 

even he was satisfied. Then how that song of 
greeting rung out ; tender still, even in its 
power : “ Let the hearts of all the people cir- 

cle him with prayer.” No better gift for him 
than that. 

After the cheering and the singing, and the 
very brief speech from the president himself, 
came the address of welcome by Dr. Fowler of 
Chicago. His first sentence sent the multitude 
into another storm of cheers. Said he : “ The 

work that I thought to do, has been done by 
twenty thousand people.” How could they help 
doing it again after that ? Chautauqua had not 
dropped her colors in this plan of an afternoon 
given to the president. 

The address of welcome from first to last rang 
with the gospel invitation, “ come ; ” no better 
word than that even for their chief ; “ honor to 
whom honor is due,” quoted the speaker, and 
then followed his graceful tribute, but it closed 
with a tender, dignified, earnest appeal to the 
President of the United States to ‘ rest ’ in the 
same refuge, to enlist under the same flag, to be 
loyal to the same Chief, whom they were met to 
serve. 

“ Out of my heart,” said he: “ as a man who 


Settled Questions. 


439 


recognizes God as the supreme ruler of us all, I 
bid you come with us, and we will do you good* 
for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Is- 
rael.” 

Poor Eurie ! What a place she had chosen if 
she desired to hear no more preaching. What 
were all these exercises, but sermons, one after 
the other, strong warm unanswerable appeals to 
be loyal to the Great Chief? Certainly Dr. 
Deems was not the man to forget the Greater in 
his greeting to the under ruler ; nor did he. 

“ Let me speak to you in closing,” said he, 
“ to you and to this assembly, out of my heart. 
We shall never all stand together again, until 
that great white throne shall stop in mid heav- 
ens, and we shall stand to meet the Chiefest of 
all chiefs. O men and brethren, shall we not 
all prepare to meet there ? Mr. President, every 
day prayer is made for you ; we are hoping to 
meet with you in heaven. Brave men who 
stood beside you in the late war, and have gone 
on ahead, are hoping to greet you there. May 
you have a good life, a happy life, a blessed life ; 
and may other tongues more eloquent than mine, 
more eloquent than even my brother’s who pre* 


140 Four Girls at Chautauqua, 

ceded, me, bid you welcome one day to the gen- 
eral assembly of the first born. Amen and 
amen.” 

What could better close the matchless greet- 
ings than to have the Tennesseeans circle round 
their president and sing again that ringing cho- 
rus : 

“ I‘ve been redeemed. 

Been washed in the blood of the Lamb.” 

“ I don’t know what will beoome of the 
grumblers,” Marion said as they rested in various 
stages of dishabille, and talked the exci ting scenes 
over. “ They have been shamefully left in the 
lurch ; they were going to have this affair a de - 
moralizing dissipation from first to last, unwor- 
thy of the spirit of Chautauqua. And if more 
solemn, or more searching, or more effective 
preaching could be crowded into an afternoon 
than has been done here, I should like to be 
shown how. What do you think of your choice 
of entertainments, Eurie ? You thought it would 
be safe to attend the president’s reception, you 
remember.” 

“ I don’t tell all I think,” Eurie answered 


Settled Questions . 


441 


and then she went out among the trees. 

Truth to tell, Eurie had heard that from wliick 
she could not get away. Dr. Vincent’s words 
were still sounding, “ you are invited to come to 
Jesus and be saved; you are invited to come 
now” There had been nothing to dissipate that 
impression, everything to deepen it, and the 
thought that clung and repeated itself to her 
heart was that plaintive wail : 

“ Almost persuaded, now to believe.** 

That was certainly herself ; she felt it, knew 
it ; in the face of that knowledge think how sol- 
emn the words grew : 

44 Almost will not prevail, 

Almost is but to fail ; 

Sad, sad that bitter wail, 

Almost, — but lost ! „ 

Was that for her, too ? In short, Eurie out 
there alone, among the silent trees, felt and ad- 
mitted this fact: that the time had actually come 
to her when this question must be decided, eithez 
for or against, and decided forever. 


442 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

Sunday morning at Chautauqua ! A white 
day. There can be none of all that throng who 
spent the 15th day of August, 18T5, in that sacred 
place, who remember it without a thrill. A per- 
fect day ! Glorious and glowing sunshine every- 
where ; and beauty, such perfect beauty of lake 
and grove ! The God of nature smiled lovingly 
on Chautauqua that morning. 

Our girls seemed to think that the perfect day 
required perfection of attire, and it was notice- 
able that the taste of each settled on spotless 
white, without color or ornament, other than a 
spray of leaves and grasses, which one and an- 
other of them gathered almost without knowing 
it, and placed in belt or hair. Outward calm, 
but inward unrest, at least so far as some were 
concerned; Marion Wilbur among the number. 

It was a very heavy heart that she carried that 
day. There was no unbelief ; that demon was 
conquered. Instead there was an overpowering, 
terrible certainty. And now came Satan with 
the whole of her past life which had turned to 
sin before her, and hurled it on her poor shrink- 
ing shoulders, until she felt almost to faint be- 
neath the load ; she la}/ miserably on her bed. 


Settled Questions. 


443 


and thought that she would not add to her bur- 
den by going to the service, that she knew al- 
ready too much. But an appeal from Flossy to 
keep her company, as the others had gone, had 
the effect of changing her mind. 

Armed each with a camp-chair, they made 
their way to the stand, after the great congrega- 
tion were seated. A fortunate thought those 
camp-chairs had been ; there was not a vacant 
seat anywhere. 

Marion placed her chair out of sight both of 
stand and speaker, but within hearing, and gave 
herself up to her own troubled thoughts, until 
the opening exercises were concluded and the 
preacher announced his text : “ The place that 
is called Calvary.” 

She roused a little and tried to determine 
whose voice it was, it had a familiar sound, but 
she could not be sure, and she tried to go back 
to the useless questionings of her own heart; 
but she could not. She could never be deaf to 
eloquence ; whoever the speaker was, there was 
that in his very opening sentences which roused 
and held her. Whatever he had to say, whether 
or not it was anything that had to do, with her, 


444 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

she must listen. Still the wonderment existed 
as to which voice it was. 

But when he reached the sentences : “ Jump 
the ages I Come down here to Chautauqua Lake 
to-day, O Son of God ! O Son of Man ! O Son of 
Mary ! When the prophet of old said, “ He 
shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be 
satisfied,” did he look along the centuries and 
see the gathered thousands here, who have just 
sung, 4 Tell me the old, old story ’ ? What 
story ? Why, the story of the place that is called 
Calvary ! ” — Marion leaned forward and addressed 
the person next to her. 

“ Isn’t that Dr. Deems ? ” she said. 

“ Yes indeed ! ” was the answer, spoken with 
enthusiasm. 

And Marion drew back, and listened. That 
sermon I Marion tried to report it, but it was 
like trying to report the roll of the waves on the 
Atlantic; she could only listen with beating 
heart and flushing cheek. Presently she list- 
ened with a new interest, for the divisions of the 
subject were: “God’s thought of sin,” and 
“ God’s thought of mercy.” Though the morn 
ing was warm, she shivered and drew her wrap 


Settled Questions . 


445 


closer about her. “ God’s thought of sin ! She 
was in a mood to comprehend in a measure what 
a fearful thought it might be. 

“ Some men,” said the speaker, “ make light 
of sin.” Yes, she had done it herself. “ Where 
shall we learn what God thinks of it ? On Si- 
nai? No. God spoke there in thunder and 
lightning, till the very hills shook and trembled. 

“ And what were they doing down below ? 
Dancing around a golden calf I I tell you it is 
only at Calvary that we can learn God’s idea of 
fin. For at Calvary, because of sin, God the 
Father surrendered his communion with God 
the Son, and on Calvary God died! Will God 
ever forgive sin ? Many a one has carried that 
question around in his soul until it burned 
there.” 

Now you can imagine how Marion tried no 
more to write; thought no more about elo- 
quence ; this question, which had become to hei 
ihe one terrible question of life, was being looked 
'nto. 

“ How will we find out ? Go by science into 
nature, and there’s no proof of it ; God never 
forgives what seems to be the mistake of even a 
•eptile I ” 


*46 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

I cannot tell ydu about the rest of that sermon. 
I took no notes of it ; my notes ended abruptly 
in the middle of a sentence ; one cannot write 
out words that are piercing to their hearts. I 
doubt if even Marion Wilbur can give you any 
satisfactory account of the wording of the sen- 
tences. And yet Marion Wilbur rose up at its 
close, with cheeks aglow not only with tears, 
but smiles ; and the question, ‘Will God ever 
forgive sin ? ” she could answer. 

There was a place where the burden would 
roll away. “At the place called Calvary.” She 
knew it, believed it, felt it, — why should she 
not? She had been there in very deed, that 
summer morning. He had seen again of the 
travail of his soul, he was one soul nearer to be- 
ing satisfied. 

There were other matters of interest: those 
Gwo Bibles, symbol of the Chautauqua pulse, — 
that were presented to the nation’s highest offi- 
cer ; the address which accompanied them - — 
simple, earnest gospel ; the hymn they sang, — 
everything was full of interest. But Marion let 
it pass by her like the sound of music, and the 
words in her heart that kept time to it all w^fl 
the closing words of that sermon : 


Settled Questions. 


447 


“ Here I could forever stay, 

Sit and sing my life away. 

This is more than life to me, 

Lovely, mournful Calvary." 

It was so, all day. She went to the afternoon 
service ; she listened to Dr. Fowler’s sermon, 
not as she had ever listened to one before ; the 
sermon for the first time was for her. When 
people listen for themselves , there is a difference. 
She felt fed and strengthened ; she joined in the 
singing as her voice had never joined before ; 
they were singing about her Saviour. Then she 
went back to her tent. 

“I am not going to-night,” she said to the 
girls. “ I am full, I want nothing more to-day.’ 

“ Preached out, I declare I ” said Eurie. “ Are 
you going to write out your report for the pa- 
per ? I wouldn’t, Marion. I would go to the 
meeting. I am going.” 

“ No,” said Marion in answer to the question, 
and smiling at the thought. How strange it 
would seem to her to spend this Sabbath even- 
ing thus. How many had she so spent ! 

“ I am glad to-morrow is the last day,” die 


148 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

said, sinking into a chair ; “ I want to go home.” 

And Flossy and Ruth looked at each other, 
and sighed. How well these girls understood 
one another! Why can’t people be frank and 
Bpeak so that they can be understood ? 

Suppose Marion had said: “ No, I am not go 
ing to write my report, I am going to pray.* 
Suppose she had said ; “ Yes, I want to go home 
to practice” 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE BEGINNING OF THE END. 



[T is a troublesome fact that, even when 
people are very much interested, and 
very eager over important themes, commonplace 
and comparatively trivial duties, will intrude, 
and insist upon being done at that moment. 
For instance, our girls were obliged to spend the 
whole of Monday morning in packing their 
trunks and satchels, returning their furniture, 
settling for their tents, and the like ; in short, 
breaking up housekeeping and getting ready to 
go back to the civilized world. Flossy and Ruth 

dispatched their part at the hotel promptly and 

( 449 ) 


450 


Four Girls at Chautauqua. 


came oyer to the grounds to help the others. 
They discussed the meeting while they worked. 

“ If we hadn’t been idiots,” Marion said, “ we 
should have attended that normal class and been 
graduating, this morning, instead of being down 
here, at work at our trunks and unknown to 
fame.” 

“Well, you wouldn’t go,” Ruth answered. 
“ Don’t you know you declared that was too 
much like work, and you hadn’t an idea of learn- 
ing anything ? ” 

“ Oh, yes,” said Marion. “ I remember a great 
many things I have said, that I would quite as 
soon forget.” 

By dint of eager bustling from one point to 
another, the work was accomplished by noon, 
and all the girls were ready for the afternoon 
service, which all seemed equally eager to at- 
tend. When they reached the stand they looked 
about them in surprise and dismay. 

“ Everybody is gone I ” said Flossy, “ onty 
look! There are ever so many unoccupied 
seats I ” 

Marion laughed. 

“ And ever so many that are occupied,” she 


The Beginning of thi End. 


451 


said. “My child, you have been so used to 
counting audiences by the thousands, that six- 
teen or seventeen hundred people look rather 
commonplace to you. However, there are more 
than that number here, I think.” 

It soon became a matter of small importance, 
whether there were few or many, so long a* 1 
they had the good fortune to be there them 
selves, and to have the company of Dr. Ebev 
Tourjde. 

Now it so happened that among these fom 
girls there were two to whom God had given 
special gifts : though neither of them had evei 
considered that there were such things as gifts 
from God, which they were bound to use in his 
service. 

There was Ruth Erskine, who had capabilities 
for music in the ends of her fingers, that would 
have almost entranced the angels. What did 
she do with her talent? Almost nothing. She 
hated the sickly sentimentalities which, set to 
music, find their way into fashionable parlors by 
the score. She was not in the society that knew 
of, or craved, the higher, grander kind of music ; 
and because she did, and did not know it, she 


452 Four Girls at Chautauqua, 

simply palled of the kind within her reach and 
let her gift lie waste. 

Then there was Marion, whose voice was sim- 
ply grand, both in power and tone. What had 
she done with her voice ? Sung by the hour to 
the old father whose tender memory lingered 
with her to-day ; less than nothing with it since ; 
no one knew she could sing ; she hated singing 
in school, she never went anywhere else ; so only 
occasionally could the four walls of her upper 
back room have testified that there was a talent 
buried there. 

Did Dr. Tourjde travel from Boston to Chau- 
tauqua for the purpose of inspiring and educa* 
ting these two girls. I don’t suppose he knew 
of their existence, but that makes no difference, 
they are working out his lecture all the same ; in 
fact it is nearly a year since these Chautauqua 
girls came home, and if you have any sort of de- 
sire to know what Chautauqua theories develop 
into, when put to the test, please beep a sharp 
lookout for “ The Chautauqua Girls at Home," 

As the familiar talk on music went on, Ruth, 
with her eyes aglow, began to plan in her own 
heart* first what she might do, and presently 


The Beginning of the End. 453 

what she would do. And Marion, at the other 
end of the seat, went through the same process > 
neither imagining that these same ‘doings ’ would 
bring them together, and lead to endless other 
doings. But that is just the way in which life 
is going on every where, who imagined that 
what you did yesterday, would lead your neigh- 
bor to do what he has done to-day? 

“ Luther said : ‘ Next to theology, I place 
sacred music.’ ” This was the sentence that 
started a train of thought for Ruth. After 
that, she listened in order that she might work. 

“Never use an interlude in church, I pray 
God that I may be forgiven for the fiddle-faddle 
that 1 have strummed on organs, in the name of 
interludes.” 

This, delighted Marion, she hated interludes. 
She hated quartette choirs. She had steadily 
refused to be beguiled into one, by the few who 
knew that she could sing, so, when Dr. Tourg^e 
said : “ Think of the grand old hymn, ‘ From all 
that dwell below the skies, let the Creator’s praise 
arise,’ being warbled by one voice, a grand chorus 
of four coming in on the third line ! ” 

Marion was entirely in sympathy with him, and 


454 


Four dirts at Chautauqua . 


eager for work in the way in which he pointed 
out. It was an enjoyable afternoon in every re- 
spect. But to “ our girls ” it was much more 
than that, it was an education. Every one of 
them got ideas which they were eager to put in 
practice ; and they saw their ways clear to prac- 
tise them to some purpose- When the service 
was over, and the audience moved away, a sense 
of sadness and lonliness began to creep over 
many, snatches of remark could be heard on all 
sides. 

“ Where is Dr. Fowler ? ” 

“ Gone : went this morning.” 

“ Where is the Miller party ? ” 

“ Oh, they went some time ago.” 

“ When did the president leave ? ” 

“ It’s all about ‘ go,’ ” Eurie said : “ Look I 
How they are crowding down to the boat ; and 
only a stray one now and then coming up from 
there. Who would have supposed it could make 
is feel so forlorn? I am glad we are not to be 
at the morning meeting. I am not sure but I 
should cry of homesickness. I say, girls, let’s go 
to Palestine.” 

Which suggestion was greeted with delight, 


The Beginning of the End . 455 

and they immediately went. A great many 
were of the same mind. Mr. Vanlennep in full 
Turkish dress, was leading the way, and giving 
his familiar lecture on the — to him — familiar 
spots. The girls stood near him by the sea of 
Galilee, and heard his tender farewell words, 
and his hope that they would all meet on the 
other side of Jordon. It was hard to keep back 
the quiet tears from falling. 

They climbed Mount Hermon in silence, and 
looked over at Mount Lebanon, they came back 
by the way of Cesarea, and turned aside to take 
a last look at Joppa, down by the sea. In almost 
total silence this walk back was accomplished. 
What was the matter with them all ? 

Mr. Roberts had joined them, and he and 
Flossy walked on ahead. But their voices were 
subdued and their subject — to judge from their 
faces, quieting , to say the least. Then they all 
went to take their last supper at Chautauqua. 
Not one of them grumbled over anything. In- 
deed, they all agreed that the board had certainly 
improved very much during the last few days, 
and that it was really remarkable that such a 
throng of people could have been served so 


156 Four Grirls at Chautauqua. 

promptl}- and courteously, and on the whole, so 
well, as had been done there. Still, it was 
strange to have plenty of elbow room, and to see 
the waiters moving leisurely up and down the 
long halls ; no one in haste, no one kept waiting. 

As they rose from table, a gentleman passed 
through ; they bad passed each other every day 
for a week ; they had no idea what his name was, 
and I suppose he knew as little about them. But 
he paused before them: 

“ Good-bye,” he said. And held out his hand, 
“ I hope we shall all meet at the assembly up 
there ! ” 

“ Good-bye,” they answered, and they shook 
hands. None of them smiled, none of them 
thought it strange ; though they had never been 
introduced ! It was the Chautauqua brother- 
hood of feeling. But after two weeks of experi- 
ence and much practice in that line, it was im- 
possible to rid onesself of the feeling that one 
must hurry down to the stand in order to secure 
seats; so they hurried, and had a new experi- 
ence ; they were among the first twenty on the 
ground. 

“The audience will be utterly lost to-night 


The Beginning of the End. 457 

In this immense array of seats ; ” Flossy said in 
dismay. “Doesn’t it feel forlorn?” But they 
took their seats, and presently came Miss Ryder 
and seated herself at the piano in the twilight, 
and the tunes she played were soft and tender 
and weird. 

“ Every note says ‘ goodbye,’ ” said Ruth, and 
she gave a little sigh. Presently, the calcium 
lights began to glow, as usual, and meantime 
though everybody was supposed to have left; 
still, the people came from somewhere ; and at 
last, dismayed voices began to say : 

“ Why ! Did you ever see the like I I thought 
we should surely get good seats to-night ? Where 
do all the people come from.” 

“Look ! Marion,” said Eurie. “ What would 
Dr. Harris think of such a congregation as this J 
They could not get into our church, could they?” 
But just then the hymn claimed attention : 

“ My days are gliding swiftly by." 

How swiftly these days had glided away. 
How full they had been! During the prayer 
that followed, all heads bowed, and the silence 
that fell upon them made it seem that all hearts 


458 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

joined. Dr. Vincent was the first speaker 
His manner and voice had changed. Both were 
subdued; he looked like a man who had been 
lifted up for a great mental strain and was grad- 
ually letting down again to earth. 

“We are coming toward the 01086,” he said. 
“We are more quiet than we have been here be- 
fore. Familiar faces and forms that have moved 
in and out among these trees, for two weeks 
past, have gone. Only a few hours and we are 
going ; only a few hours and utter silence will 
fall upon Chautauqua.” 

“Oh dear!” murmured Eurie, “ why will he 
be so forlorn ! I don’t see why 1 need care so 
much ! Who would have supposed I could ! ” 

“ Hush ! ” said Marion, and she surrepti- 
tiously wiped away a tear. “ A love feast,” Dr. 
Vincent said they were going to have, for that 
last evening ; it was very much like that. The 
farewell from Canada came next; -the speaker 
said he had been “ thawed out,” meant to have 
America annexed to Canada ! Indeed they had 
already been annexed; in heart and soul! 
“ Who’s who ? ” said he, and “ what‘s what? 
Who knows ? ” There was just enough of the 


The Beginning of the End. 459 

comical mixed with the pathetic in this address 
to steady many a tremulous heart. 

Dr. Presbry followed in much the same strain, 
closing, though, with such a tender tribute to 
some who had been at the assembly the year be- 
fore, and had since gone to join the assembly 
that never breaks up, that the tears came to the 
surface again. But those blessed Tennesseeans 
just at that point made the grounds ring with 
the chorus, “ Oh jubilee ! jubilee ! the Christian 
religion is jubilee I ” and followed it with : “ I’ve 
been a long time in the house of God, and I ain’t 
got weary yet.” 

By that time our girls looked at each other 
with faces on which tears and smiles struggled 
for the mastery. 

“ Shall we laugh, or cry ? ” whispered Eurie, 
and then they giggled outright. But they 
sobered instantly and sat upright, ready to 
listen, for the next one who appeared on the 
platform was Dr. Deems. 

He, too, commenced as if the spell of the part- 
ing was upon him. “ He was too tired,” he 
said, “ to make a short speech. Some one asked 
Walter Scott why he didn’t put a certain book 


460 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

of his into one volume instead of five. And he 
said he hadn’t time. It took five weeks to pre- 
pare a speech three minutes long. And then he 
warmed, and grew with his subject until the 
beautiful thoughts fell around them like pearls. 
Not only beautiful, but searching. 

“No man,” said he, “ dares to make a care- 
less speech at Chautauqua, there are too many 
to treasure it up, to plant it again.” Of course 
he knew nothing about those girls, and how 
much seed they were gathering which they 
meant to plant; but they gathered it, all the 
same. He dropped his seeds with lavish hand. 
This was one that took root in Marion’s brain 
and heart : 

“ There are so many side influences that are 
unconscious, that the only safe way for one to 
do is to let no part of himself ravel, but to keep 
himself round and thorough, and healthy to the 
core.” 

After that, Marion’s pencil, on which I have to 
depend for my notes, gave up in despair. “ I 
couldn't keep track of that man I ” she said, when 
I complained. “ There was no more use to try 
than there would be to count these apple bios- 


The Beginning of the End . 461 

sums,” for it was this spring, and we were stand’ 
ing in an apple orchard, and a perfect shower of 
the white, sweet-smelling things came fluttering 
round our heads. But after he ‘ calmed down a 
little,’ as she called it, she tried to write again ; 
and I copy this : 

“ Brethren : This meeting will convert some 
of the most thoughtful people of this generation : 
men who come here not knowing by personal 
experience the power of this thing, men who 
walk thoughtfully up and down these aisles, 
looking on, will say : ‘ There are scholars here, 
there are men of genius, of great brain power, 
there are men and women here of every variety 
of temperament, and attainment, held together 
for fourteen days by one common bond,’ and the 
perseverance, the solemnity, the hilarity, the 
freedom, the naturalness, the earnestness of this 
meeting will so impress them that they will 
know that there is a miracle holding us, a super- 
natural strength. 

“ May I give you to-night one word more of 
gospel invitation ? Come, go with us, you who 
do not understand this matter for yourselves, go 
with as, and we will do you good. Will you go 
to your rooms to-night and make the resolve 


462 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

that shall write your names in God’s book tf 
life ? The recording angel has a trembling hand 
this minute, waiting for your answer. Weary 
one, so young and yet so tired, come, come, come 
now.” 

Marion, with cheeks burning, and eyes very 
bright and earnest, looked around her: Eurie 
sat next to her, she seemed unmoved, there was 
no sign of tears to her bright eyes, but she was 
looking steadily at the speaker. 

“Never mind!” Marion said within herself, 
and there came to her an eager desire to begin 
her practice, to do something ; what if it were 
utter failure, would the fault be hers ? 

Following the sudden leading that she had 
learned no better than to call ‘ impulse ’ she said 
in a quick low whisper : “ Eurie, won't you ? ” 
And she held her breath for the answer, and 
could distinctly feel the beating of her own 
heart. Eurie turned great gray astonished eyes 
on her friend, and said in a firm quiet voice : “ I 
have. I settled that matter on Saturday. Have 
you ? ” 

And then those two girls, each with the won- 
derful surprise ringing music in her heart, were 
willing to have that meeting over. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

THE END OF THE BEGINNING 



*T was almost over. Dr. Deems sat down 
|amid the hush of hearts, and all the people 
seemed to feel that no more words were needed. 
Yet, the next moment, they greeted Frank 
Beard with joy, and prepared themselves with 
great satisfaction to listen to what he had to say. 
Frank Beard was one of Chautauqua’s favorites. 

People had not the least idea that they could 
be beguiled into laughter ; hearts were too ten- 
der for that ; yet you should have heard the 
bursts of mirth that rang there for the next five 
minutes I Frank Beard was so quaint, so orig- 
inal, so innocent in his originality, so pure and 

( 463 ) 


464 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

higli-toned, even in his fun, and they liked him 
so much that every heart there responded to ilia 
mirth. The roars of laughter reached as high 
the music had done, but a little while before. 

Yet, when people’s hearts are tender, and full, 
it is strange how near laughter is to tears ! Jus! 
a sentence from the same lips and the hush fell 
on them again. 

Frank Beard had brought his heart with him 
to Chautauqua, and he was evidently leaving 
some of it there. The touching little story of 
his dream about his mother brought out a 
flutter of handkerchiefs, and made tear-stained 
faces. And when he, simply as a child, tenderly 
as a large-souled man, trustfully as only a Chris- 
tian can, said his farewell, and told of his joyful 
hope of meeting them all in the eternal morning, 
absolute stillness settled over them. 

So many last words — one and another came 
— just a word, just “ good-bye,” until we meet 
again; maybe here, next year, maybe there> 
where good-byes are never heard. Finally came 
Dr. Vincent, his strong decided voice breaking 
the spell, and helping them to realize that the} 
were men and women with work to do : 


The End of the Beginning . 465 

“Now, my friends,” he said, “we really must 
go home ; it is hard to close ; I know that, no 
one knows it better : we have closed a good many 
times, and it won’t stay closed. The last word 
has been said over and over again. 1 said it my- 
self, some time ago, and here I am again : we 
must just stop , never mind the closing ; we will 
iing a hymn, and go away, and next year we will 
begin right here, where we left it.” 

But he didn’t “stop,” and no one wanted him 
to. His voice grew tender, and his words were 
solemn. The last words that he would ever 
speak to many a soul within sound of his voice ; 
it could not be otherwise. You can imagine bet- 
ter than I could tell you what Dr. Vincent’s 
message would be at such a time as that. 

Breaking into it, came the shrill sound of the 
whistle. The Col. Phillips — the last boat for 
the night — was giving out its warning. The 
Chautauqua bells began their parting peal. Not 
even for his own convenience would that marvel 
of punctuality have the bells tarry a moment 
behind the hour appointed. 

Our gii'ls looked at each other and made signs, 
and nodded, and began to slip quietly out. They 
had arranged to spend the night at the Mayville 


466 Four Crirls at Chautauqua. 

House, and take an early train. Many others 
were softly and reluctantly moving away. They 
were very quiet during that last walk down to 
the wharf. Glorious moonlight was abroad, and 
the water shone like a sheet of silver. 

As they walked, the evening wind brought to 
them the notes of the last song which the throng 
at the stand were singing. A clear, ringing, yet 
tender farewell. It floated sweetly down to 
them, growing fainter and fainter as the distance 
lengthened, until, as they stepped on board the 
boat, they lost its sound. There were many 
people going the same way, but there was little 
talking. There are times when people, though 
they may be very far from unhappiness, have no 
desire to talk. Once on deck, Marion turned 
and clasped both of Eurie’s hands. 

“ I have had such a blessed surprise to-night 1 ” 
she said, with glowing face. “ I did not think 
of such a thing I O Eurie, why didn’t you tell 
me?” 

“You cannot begin to be as surprised as I 
am,” Eurie said. “I thought you were miles 
away from such a thing. Why didn’t you tell 
we?” 

Ruth and Flossy were leaning over, watching 


The End of the Beginning . 467 

the play of the water against the boat’s side. 

“What about those two?” Eurie said, nod- 
ding her head toward them. 

Marion sighed. 

“ Ruth is very far from understanding any- 
thing about it,” she said ; “ at least the last time 
I talked with her she knew as little about the 
Christian life as the veriest heathen so far at 
least as personal duty was concerned.” 

“ When was that? ” 

“ Why, a week ago ; more than a week.” 

“ How long is it since you settled this question 
for yourself ? ” 

“ Since yesterday,” Marion said, blushing and 
laughing. “ Eurie, you would do for a cross- 
questioner.” 

“And I have been on this side since Satur- 
day,” Eurie answered, significant^. “A great 
many things can happen in a week.” 

At this point, Ruth turned and came towards 
them. She looked quiet and grave. 

“It is a year, isn’t it? since we stood here to- 
gether for the first time,” she said. “ At least 
I seem to have had a year of life and experience. 
Do you know, girls, I have something to tel] 


468 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

you : I thought to wait until we reached home, 
but I have decided to-night that I will not. 1 
am sorry that I have not told you before. 
Marion, don’t you know how like a simpleton I 
talked, a week ago last Saturday night ? I want 
to tell you that 1 was a fool ; and was talking 
about that of which I knew nothing at all. I 
want to assure you that there is a safe place, 
that I know it now by actual experience, I have 
gone to the mountain and it is sure and safe j 
and, oh, girls, I want you both to come so 
much.” 

“ I know the mountain;” Marion said, reach- 
ing out, and clasping Ruth’s hand. “ The name 
of it is Calvary, it is safe, and it is sufficient for 
us all. Ruthie, we three are together in this 
thing.” 

What those girls said to each other then and 
there is sacred to them. But if I could, I would 
tell you something of the joy they felt. 

Flossy still leaned over the railing, a small 
quiet speck in the moonlight. Marion kept 
turning her head in her direction. “ Our poor 
little Flossy would not understand much about 
this experience, I suppose,” she said at last ; 


The End of the Beginning. 469 

“she is such a child, and yet, I don’t know — 
sometimes I have fancied that she thinks more 
than we give her credit for. That at least she 
has lately.” 

“Let us tell her, anyway,” Eurie, said, “we 
can’t know what good it may do. If we had not 
been so dreadfully afraid of each other, during 
the last few days, we might have helped each 
other a good deal ; for my part, I have learned a. 
lesson on which I mean to practice.” 

Ruth looked up quickly, a rare smile in her 
eyes ; she opened her lips to speak to them, then 
seemed to change her mind and raised her voice : 
“ Flossy ! ” And Flossy came at her call. 

“ Come here,” Ruth said, withdrawing her 
hand from Marion’s, and winding her arm around 
the small figure beside her. 

“ Flossy, the girls have had our very experi- 
ence all by themselves, and they want to know 
how long it is since you began to think about 
this matter for yourself.” 

Flossy turned her soft blue eyes on Marion. 

“ The very night we came, Marion, and you 
made me come to the meeting in the rain, you 
remember ? I heard that which I knew would 


170 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

never let me rest again, until I understood it, 
and had it for my own. But I was very igno- 
rant, and foolish, and I blundered along in the 
dark for three mortal days I After that Jesus 
found me, and I have known since what it is to 
live in the light.” 

“ A Christian experience of ten whole days ! ” 
Eurie said. Of course she was the first one to 
rise from her surprise and get possession of her 
tongue. 

“ Flossy, you have had a chance to get a good 
way ahead instead of being behind, as we thought. 
You will have to show us the way.” 

“ Isn’t this just wonderful ! ” broke forth Mar- 
ion, suddenly, an overwhelming sense coming 
over her, of the new relations that they four 
would henceforth bear to each other. 44 Why, 
girls, what would they say up there at the stand, 
if they could know what has come to each of 
us ! I almost feel like going back and telling 
them all. Just think what a delight it would 
be to Dr. Vincent, and Dr. Deems, and, oh, to 
all of them. Isn’t it queer to think how well 
we know them all, and they are not aware of oui 
existence ? ” 


The End of the Beginning . 471 

“ I don’t believe people will have to wait to 
be introduced to each other when they get to 
heaven,” Eurie said ; “ that is one of the first 
things 1 am going to do when I get there ; hunt 
up some of these Chautauqua people and culti- 
vate their acquaintance.” 

This sentence gave Flossy a new thought: 

“We are really all going to heaven ! ” 

She said it precisely as you might speak of a 
trip to Europe on which your heart had long been 
set. 

“We are just as sure of it as though we were 
there this minute ! Girls, don’t you know how 
nice we thought it would be to be together at 
Chautauqua for two whole weeks? Now think 
of being together, there, for a million years ! ” 
But the thought which filled Flossy’s heart with 
a sweet song of melody, and wreathed her face 
in glad smiles, was such an overwhelming one 
to Marion, so immense with power and possibil- 
ity, that it seemed to her to take her very breath ; 
she turned abruptly from the rest and walked to 
the vessel’s side to still the throbbing of her 
heart. 

Meantime the boat had been filling with pas* 


472 Four Girls at Chautauqua . 

sengers, and now she was getting undei way. 
Still the hush continued ; the people stood closely 
around the railing, on the Chautauqua side, and 
looked lovingly back at the fair point of land 
that lay before them in glowing moonlight. 
Presently a leading voice began to sing : 

“ There’s a land that is fairer than day, 

And by faith we can see it afar ; 

For the Father waits over the way 
To prepare us a dwelling-place there. 

We shall meet in the sweet by and by. 

On that beautiful shore in the sweet by and by, 

We shall meet on that beautiful shore.” 

Before the chorus was reached, every voice 
that could sing at all must have taken up the 
strain. Marion, for the first time in years gave 
a hint of the full compass of her powers, mak- 
ing Ruth turn suddenly towards her, with a 
brightening face, for she saw how the singing 
and the playing could fit into each other, and do 
good service. 

On and on stole the vessel through the silver 
water. The courteous captain came around 
quietly for his tickets, and to one and another 


The End of the Beginning. 473 

with whose faces he had grown familiar he said *. 
'‘We shall miss you: the Col. Phillips has been 
proud of carrying you all safely back and forth.” 

One said to him in return : “I hope, captain, we 
shall all land at last safe in the harbor.” And 
the captain bowed his answer in silence. It 
would have been hard to speak words just then. 

But ever and anon that leading voice took up 
words of song. 

Still the song that best seemed to suit all 
hearts was that tender “ By and by,” and as the 
lights along the Chautauqua shore grew dim it 
rose again in swelling volume : 

“We shall meet, we shall sing, we shall reign, 

In the land where the saved never die ; 

We shall rest free from sorrov r and pain, 

Safe at home in the sweet by and by." 

Then the refrain, repeated and re-repeated, 
until, as the last lingering note of it died away, 
the boat touched at the wharf, and looking back, 
they saw that the Chautauqua lights were out, 
and silence and darkness had Fairpoint. 

“Good-bye,” Marion said, and she bowed to- 
wards the distant shore ; she was smiling, but 
her lips were quivering. 


474 Four Girls at Chautauqua. 

“ We shall meet in the sweet by and by,” 
Flossy quoted, but her voice trembled. 

“ There is a chance to do grand work first, 
that the final meeting may be infinitely larger, 
because of us.” 

This the leading voice in the singing said, as 
he held out his hand to say good-bye. And 
as they took it some of the girls noticed for the 
first time that it was Mr. Roberts ; as for Flossy, 
she had known it all the time. 

“We are going to try to do some of the work, 
Mr. Roberts,” Eurie said ; “ I have found the 
road to Bethany since I saw you, the real road, 
and we are going to try and keep it well trod- 
den.” 

He was shaking hands with Flossy, as Eurie 
spoke, and he still held her hand while he an- 
swered : “ Good news ! There is plenty of work 
to do. It is well that Chautauqua has gathered 
in new reapers I am coming to your city, next 
winter; I shall want to help you. Good-bye.” 


*7 0 5 


THE END. 

























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